When an illegal immigrant gets involved in a criminal case, he may have to face very harsh consequences. First, he must consult an experienced attorney(s) specialized in criminal defense and immigration laws.

He may be fined or kept in custody for the criminal case, while in the immigration case, he might get deported.

After his arrest, the concerned officials have to report the booking to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Officers at the ICE have more extraordinary powers than officers of state.

The District Attorney (D.A.) can ask to drop the charges by ICE officers; this lets the officers take the illegal immigrant quickly to the immigration court. The D.A generally complies with them.

The immigrant is then taken into custody and kept in a detention center. His case now transferred to the immigration court.

The immigrant has to stay in jail if his charges don’t get dropped by the D.A. After that, the immigrant can get either offer for a plea to be adjudicated guilty or withholding the adjudication.

He may serve his sentence in the federal or state jail, and the length of the penalty varies depending upon his offense.