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What It Would Take For Justin Bieber To Get Deported
Justin Bieber after posting bail today. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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Justin Bieber's arrest yesterday on DUI charges is yet another blemish on his legal record. If you remember, he still is in hot water over allegedly egging his neighbor's house and having drugs in his home.
That leads us to wonder: Will this new arrest lead to Justin Bieber's deportation?
Bieber is a Canadian citizen and is in possession of a O-1 Visa, which means that he is an "alien of extraordinary ability" (really). When you're a non-permanent resident of the United States, conviction of a felony that can lead to at least a year in jail is a deportable offense, even if the actual sentence is less than that, the Los Angeles Times says. Even an arrest without a conviction will make things increasingly difficult for him when he renews his visa. In addition, a provision in U.S. immigration law states that any "alien" who is convicted of a drug violation or is a proven drug addict is deportable. Bieber has admitted to police that he was under the influence of prescription drugs and weed during his arrest this week, and he is rumored to have taken a particular liking to sizzurp.
If Bieber isn't convicted of a felony, he may be less likely to be deported unless he commits a crime that falls under the Department of Homeland Security's definition of "moral turpitude," meaning that he commits a crime that really offends the morals of a prosecutor, ABC News reports.
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Certainly, some legal immigrants and non-permanent residents who are considerably less famous have been deported for other crimes. Think Progress outlines a number of cases involving legal residents who have been deported for criminal activity, including a man who forged his cousin's signature and a woman who lied about being convicted of insurance fraud when she applied for naturalization.
Bracing for a legal battle, Bieber has already lawyered up with one of the finest defense attorneys out there in Roy Black, who gained fame for representing the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Girls Gone Wild mastermind Joe Francis. Maybe he'll skirt the impending charges and stay in the country after all.
The list of celebrities that have been booted out of the country—or not allowed reentry—is short. Before Charlize Theron became an American citizen, she says she was deported at age 19 for producing a documentary about Cuba called East Of Havana that was considered "unpatriotic." Cat Stevens was denied entry intothe United States in 2004 when his name showed up on a no-fly list—the government was worried he had ties to terrorist activity. Charlie Chaplin drummed up controversy for his left-leaning political views during the Cold War. When Chaplin tried to return to the United States in 1952, Attorney General Thomas McGranery revoked his reentry permitand ordered the Immigration Service to hold Chaplin "for hearings." More recently, Belizean rapper Shyne was deported in 2009 after serving nine years in prison over his connection to a 1999 shooting in a Manhattan club (Diddy was tried in this case but was acquitted).
If you truly want him gone (or, like Seth Rogen, you don't think all that highly of him), you can always sign the White House petition to deport him.
Related:
Justin Bieber Compares Himself To Michael Jackson After His Arrest
Justin Bieber Busted On DUI, Drag Racing, Resisting Arrest Charges
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