Are Aggravated Felonies the Only Crimes for Which an Immigrant Can be Deported?
No. An aggravated felony is onebut not the onlybasis to deport immigrants convicted of a criminal offense. Removal proceedings may also be initiated against immigrants convicted of one or more crimes involving moral turpitude, a broad category of offenses. Immigrants convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude are subject to deportation, but do not face the additional consequences associated with a conviction for an aggravated felony. The immigration laws also permit deportation for convictions of various standalone offenses.Thus, whether a non-citizen is subject to deportation for a crime is not determined by whether the crime is labeled an aggravated felony. Instead, the primary impact of the aggravated felony classification relates to the increased immigration penalties attached to the label, including the inability to apply for most forms of relief from removal.
