But in Oregon, the INS deports a lot of people. This is serious stuff. Big changes have happened in the last four years, after Congress passed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. This law dramatically altered actions lawyers and judges can take. It just opens up more crimes that are deportable.
Criminal defenders have to learn immigration law as an added consequence.
When an alien a person who is not a U.S citizen or national is accused of a crime, the consequences for his being able to remain in the country if he pleads or is found guilty may be far more important to him than whether he has to pay a fine, do community service or serve jail time. To illustrate, let us take a hypothetical example. A Canadian who has permanent residence in the U. S. marries a Mexican woman who is awaiting permanent status. One night the couple has a spat, and the woman throws a glass of water at her husband and leaves a scratch mark on his face. The neighbors call the police, and the D.A. decides to prosecute the woman for assault.