It may have escaped many of our adult readers’ attention that Justin Bieber, the 19-year-old pop star from Ontario, has recently been arrested for driving under the influence and drag racing, but it hasn’t gone unnoticed by teenagers. While Bieber is not wildly popular among most adults in Lancaster, his legal troubles should be, if only for the fact that any more legal attention and he could be facing deportation.
Bieber is still a Canadian citizen, even though he has been living in the United States. He is currently on an O-1 visa, which is given to individuals with “extraordinary ability.” Regardless of talent, however, he, like all immigrants who have yet to naturalize as Americans, must follow the law or risk being deported.
Granted, Bieber is being charged with two first-degree misdemeanors, which are unlikely to land him in removal proceedings. Typically, the kinds of crimes that result in deportation are crimes of moral turpitude, or crimes that give prosecutors pause because of their morally suspect nature.
Bieber has had run ins with the law in the past, however, most notably being accused of throwing eggs at his neighbor’s Los Angeles home. The eggs are rumored to have caused $20,000 in damages. If Bieber is charged and convicted of felony vandalism in the incident, his chance of deportation could increase.
So, will Justin Bieber be sent packing back to Canada? Probably not, but at least his current legal woes can spark a discussion about what types of crimes could send an immigrant to removal proceedings.
Source: ABC News, “Could Justin Bieber Get Deported?” Luchina Fisher, Jan. 23, 2014