Noncitizens in Criminal Investigations and at Sentencing

For noncitizen defendants convicted of a deportable offense, the punitive and rehabilitative undertones of the American justice system play out differently than they do for U.S. citizens. Instead of rehabilitation, they are exposed to the most punitive undertones of the penal code, even for many nonviolent offenses. Defendants may face life-changing consequences, such as being torn away from the lives they established in the United States. Counsel must take these special considerations into account when representing noncitizen clients.