So you are not a citizen... WATCH OUT B4 PLEADING



I constantly refer my non citizen clients to an immigration lawyer. I also try to stay on top of what is happening.  It has been (pre- second term Trump) fairly routine that if you have a green card, or are a permanent residenct, you can plead to a DWI but must wait to finalize citizenship for 5 years.  This, in my professional opinion, is all in flux post Trump second term.

The immigration lawyer I use sent me this:

Proposed Bill: Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act was introduced on 1/31/25, but it has not passed yet, so there is no impact on his case. This proposed bill makes driving while intoxicated or impaired a ground for (1) barring a non-U.S. national  from admission into the United States, or (2) deporting the individual. To be deportable, the individual must have been convicted of the offense.

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