New Bill Makes Any Felony or Two Misdemeanors Grounds for Deportation, Threatening Long-Term Residents

The Criminal Alien Removal Clarification Act of 2025 is short, but its impact would be massive. This legislation proposes a major change to Section 237(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, essentially creating a new, much broader trigger for deportation proceedings. The bill states that any non-citizen who has been admitted to the U.S. can be deported if they have ever been convicted of any felony or two misdemeanors under state or federal law.

The New Tripwire: Felony or Two Misdemeanors

Currently, deportation for criminal offenses is generally tied to specific categories of crimes, often involving moral turpitude, drug offenses, or aggravated felonies. This bill cuts through that complexity by making the rule automatic and universal: one felony conviction or two misdemeanor convictions—period. This is a massive expansion of who is considered deportable and it makes no distinction based on the severity of the felony or the nature of the misdemeanors. For example, a lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder) who was convicted of a minor, non-violent felony 20 years ago, or who has two separate convictions for petty theft or even certain traffic offenses categorized as misdemeanors, would now be subject to removal.

What This Means for Long-Term Residents

This change primarily affects the hundreds of thousands of Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) who have lived and worked in the U.S. for years, sometimes decades. Many LPRs have minor or old convictions that, under current law, might not trigger deportation. This bill essentially creates a retroactive tripwire, making their past mistakes—even those that were minor at the time—a permanent threat to their ability to remain in the country. Imagine a construction worker who has been in the U.S. since childhood; if they have two misdemeanor convictions from their early twenties, they could now face deportation, separating them from their U.S. citizen spouse and children. The bill's language is clear that the timing of the conviction relative to the admission date doesn't matter, only that the conviction happened after they were admitted.

Practical Challenges and Consequences

The sheer breadth of “two misdemeanors” is the most concerning part for everyday people. Misdemeanor definitions vary wildly across states. In some places, offenses like minor shoplifting, driving without a license, or even certain low-level vandalism charges fall under the misdemeanor umbrella. Under this bill, an LPR who accumulated two such non-violent convictions years ago could suddenly find themselves in removal proceedings. This puts immense pressure on immigrant communities and families, forcing LPRs to live with the constant threat that an old, minor mistake could lead to separation and removal. While the stated goal is to remove "criminal aliens," the extremely broad definition of "criminal" used here captures many individuals who pose little to no public safety risk but have deep ties to American communities.