In Colorado, there are strict laws in place that handle immigration. Along with the nationwide federal laws, it is important to abide by all of them. Not doing so could result in severe repercussions and may impact your ability to remain in the country or gain a green card or citizenship. For example, what happens if you gain a criminal record as an immigrant in the country?
FindLaw asks whether or not a felony may be able to affect your immigration status. It is stated that committing a felony offense may not immediately lead to deportation. Many factors are examined before a decision is made about how to handle a felony case. However, it should be noted that if you have an aggravated felony, these are usually treated harshly and often involve deportation.
Of course, your legal status also affects how you may be impacted by a felony conviction. For example, non-citizens without legal status risk deportation for any crime. Non-citizens with temporary lawful status will potentially lose your status or be removed for two or more misdemeanors or a felony. An asylee will usually only be deported for “particularly serious crimes”, including aggravated felonies. Refugees may also be deported despite potential risk to them. For all of the above, felony convictions can also impact your ability to gain legal permanent residency status.
Finally, legal permanent residents may be deported, detained, or barred from future immigration. They may also be barred from becoming a naturalized citizen. It is therefore easy to see just how heavily these convictions could potentially impact just about every immigrant in any situation.