Mar
23

Stay of Adjudication Is a Ticket to Deportation - Johnson v. Minnesota

When a defendant in a criminal case pleads guilty in Minnesota, the law provides for several options as to what happens with that guilty plea.  One possibility is that although the defendant has admitted guilt, the judge does not adjudicate that person guilty – a Stay of Adjudication.  The Stay of Adjudication will be in place for a certain length of time, during which time the defendant will likely need to complete some terms of probation (such as classes or programming, community service, not picking up any new charges), but if those terms are successfully completed, then at the end...

Mar
14

May I Go? Traveling While Naturalizing

Many people ask whether they may travel internationally once they have filed their applications for naturalization. The answer is that, generally, yes, a lawful permanent resident may travel outside the United States while their naturalization application is pending. 

However, there are very clear limitations.  First, if a lawful permanent resident is absent from the US for more than 180 days in a single trip at any time, it can restart the clock that runs toward eligibility for naturalization.  This applies whether a person has already or not yet applied for naturalization.  A person...