If a U.S. citizen commits sucha a crime, they pay their debt to society with jail time. I am on the fence about whether criminal non-citizens should be mandatorily deported for such a broad range of felonies as is currently the casse, but it's clear that lifetime banishment is a disproportionate punishment. What if she were permitted to leave voluntarily after serving her time, rather than receive an "Order of Removal"? She could the be required to wait some period of time, say 24 or 36 months before seeking a visa to return for a visit. That visa may be granted discretionarily upon a showing of good moral character, for example. (Essentially she would have to show she cleaned up her act. How about starting with some volunteer work, paying restitution, making a donation to a charity that helps abused women, adherence to an anger management program, public apologies, and some contrition about her alleged offensive remarks about Romanians and others? Just a thought.)

Return to BLOG here.