Deportation Not Imminent for Legal Immigrants with Minor Drug Offenses

Legal immigrants recently caught a break when the Supreme Court ruled that they should not face automatic deportation for being convicted of minor drug offenses. Before the ruling, legal immigrants faced automatic deportation for an aggravated felony. However, the question was if minor drug charges should be considered an aggravated felony. The justices answered this question by saying that “this was not what Congress had in mind when it mandated automatic deportation for any immigrant convicted of an aggravated felony.” Instead, for minor drug cases, legal immigrants should be able to argue their case with immigration judges. This would allow the judges to not only consider the drug conviction, but also take into account other factors such as family ties and length in the United States. While the U.S. certainly does not need more individuals in our country who break the law, legal immigrants should receive the right to plead their case and stay in the country. The new ruling is only for legal immigrants; whereas illegal immigrants will still face automatic deportation. By entering the U.S. legally, they are being given a legal chance to stay in the country where they chose to live.