Driving without a license is a crime whether you’re in the country legally or not. That being said, if you are driving without a license and are undocumented, getting caught could land you in a difficult situation.
While driving without a license is not recognized directly as a deportable offense, being in the country without a visa or driving recklessly might lead to deportation proceedings. Even if you are not deported for driving without a license, being in the country illegally could trigger deportation proceedings.
According to the U.S. Code, those who commit crimes of moral turpitude may be deported. These crimes might include things such as homicide or aggravated assault. Driving without a license is a Class B misdemeanor, but if this is a repeat offense or there are other pending charges, you could end up being accused of a crime of moral turpitude. For example, driving recklessly and causing multiple deaths might be serious enough to be a crime of moral turpitude in your case.
Crimes of moral turpitude are a gray area
You should know that crimes of moral turpitude are in a gray area because they are not specifically defined. While certain crimes are obviously included, like murder or aggravated assault, other crimes may fall into this category. This is what you have to be most cautious of as someone who is in the country on a visa or illegally because you are most likely to be removed for the country if one of those crimes has been committed.
You deserve a strong defense, even over driving without a license
While it might not seem very serious to be behind the wheel without a license, it actually comes across as reckless and may show that you don’t care if you endanger others. That’s the last thing that you want a judge to think about you. It is worth taking the time to build up an aggressive criminal defense so that you can minimize the risk of facing harsh penalties or being deported. Know your legal options, so that you can fight to stay in the country.