2017 NLADA Annual Conference

Criminal records create barriers to employment, housing, and other basic needs and services. For immigrant clients, a criminal record may be even more damaging, as it can lead to immigration detention, mandatory deportation, and permanent lifetime banishment from the United States. Cleaning up someone's criminal record can provide a new lease on life, but clearing criminal records for non-citizens raises a host of issues with which advocates must be prepared to grapple. Filing record-clearing petitions can, at times, pose potential immigration risks that may outweigh the benefits. However, certain types of record-clearing mechanisms can actually help clients to obtain crucial immigration relief. With the recent changes in immigration enforcement priorities, it is more important than ever for advocates to understand the risks and rewards of clearing criminal records for non-citizen clients.