Is Bieber Getting Deported?

Justin Bieber, a Canadian citizen, is under investigation for a possible felony charge. If convicted, he could face jail time and deportation. His army of lawyers will no doubt keep that from happening, but every year, millions of immigrants are deported without ever speaking to a lawyer. What if Bieber was one of them?

Earlier this week, officers executed a search warrant on Bieber's house as part of a felony vandalism investigation against him. During the search, police found illegal drugs in his house. He was not arrested.

1. In most states, after being arrested, the S-COMM program would notify ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and he would be held for ICE to arrest him.

Via worldofwonder.net

For us non-Biebers, when police search our house and find felony amounts of drugs, we’re going to spend a little time in jail. As soon as immigrants are arrested by police, the cruel S-COMM program automatically notifies immigration and asks police to hold the person for them to pick up. This is true even if they aren’t charged or convicted of anything.

Juana Reyes-Hernandez is not Justin Bieber. Juana is a mother of two who was arrested for selling tamales without a permit. Because of S-COMM, she spent two weeks in jail waiting for ICE to pick her up even though she was never charged with a crime.. Luckily, Bieber lives in California which recently enacted the TRUST Act. The TRUST Act protects immigrants arrested for minor crimes or who are never charged from being turned over for deportation.

2. He would be detained by immigration without bond, deported, and barred from ever setting foot in the United States ever again – even to visit.

Via TMZ

IIRIRA, a law signed by President Clinton in 1996, created harsh penalties for minor offenses. An immigrant, even a green card holder, convicted of possession of a small amount of drugs, even if a first time offense, faces deportation, mandatory detention without bond while their case is heard, and if deported, a lifetime bar to ever returning even if married to a citizen. (Maybe, Bieber was upset about IIRIRA?) Since Bieber has been in the United States for less than seven years, a judge would also be powerless to waive his deportation.

Mony Preap is not Justin Bieber. Mony is a single father and green card holder who came here as an infant fleeing the genocide in Cambodia. Because of an old conviction for a single joint of marijuana, Mony spent four months in mandatory detention separated from his son while he fought his deportation to Cambodia.

3. If undocumented, he would be ineligible for deferred action, the DREAM Act, and immigration reform.

Via tumblr.com

Bieber could lose his immigration status because of a conviction. If Bieber was undocumented, he wouldn't have many options. The deferred action policy announced by the President in 2012 excludes anyone with a felony conviction and also wouldn't help him. DREAM Act and immigration reform proposals all have excluded people with felony convictions and drug convictions. This is true regardless of how long ago the conviction was or whether the person had children or a citizen spouse. With a drug conviction, even if Justin Bieber got back together with Selena Gomez, a citizen, and married her he’d still be barred from getting a green card for life. Good thing she loves Canada.

Hector is not Justin Bieber. Hector came to the United States at the age of two. When he was eighteen, he went joyriding with friends before graduation. He was arrested and convicted of a felony but only given one day in jail. A decade later, the conviction prevents him from getting deferred action and would likely bar him from the DREAM Act.