Immigrants who commit a violent crime while in Texas or any other state are required to be sent out of the country. However, what constituted such a crime was considered to be vague. A piece of legislation passed by the House of Representatives has clarified what a violent crime is. Murder, assault and sexual violence are specifically considered to meet this criteria, and other actions such as robbery and the unauthorized use of a weapon were also on the list.

Government officials including the president applauded the bill’s passage while those in the minority party were not as enthusiastic about it. Democrats said that the bill was rushed and shouldn’t have been voted on without a hearing. Ultimately, it will still need to be passed by the Senate, and there is no guarantee that this will happen. It is not scheduled to be voted on at any point in 2018.

Those who are not citizens of the United States generally have fewer rights than individuals who were born here or were naturalized. Therefore, it is possible that undocumented individuals, asylum recipients or permanent residents could be deported for failure to follow the law. However, individuals who are charged with a crime still have the right to due process regardless of their immigration status.

If a person has been charged with a crime, it may be worthwhile to consult with an attorney. He or she may know how criminal law may intersect with immigration law. This could be helpful in obtaining a positive outcome for a person. For example, it may be possible to negotiate a plea that resolves the case without an immigrant being deported. In some cases, a defendant may be cleared of the charge and experience no negative consequences because of it.