Good News But Only Step One
Reader comment on item: Rasmieh Odeh Guilty of Naturalization Fraud

Submitted by Bill, Nov 10, 2014 14:28

The guilty verdict is indeed good news. Initial justice done. At sentencing, the judge is required to revoke her US citizenship and she will revert to the alien status ("green card" holder) she had prior to naturalization. She will undoubtedly appeal the conviction to the federal circuit court and perhaps to SCOTUS. Those appeals can last 2-3 years. If she loses those appeals, the US government (ICE) can then take her case into Immigration Court for deportation proceedings where, even if she is detained (IF), those proceedings and the ensuing appeals (Board of Immigration Appeals, habeas in US District Court, circuit court, SCOTUS, motions to reopen, discretionary relief motions) could take even more years. And assuming the prosecution ultimately prevails and obtains a "final" removal order against her, she is a stateless Palestinian and deporting a feloniously convicted stateless Palestinian terrorist is especially problematic. This is why even removing a convicted terrorist from the US is a legally complex and difficult process and the US public should be aware of what "due process" in deportation proceedings has writ large...foreign nationals in such proceedings literally enjoy more rights than defendants in US criminal proceedings and that's why it takes so long to actually deport people, if ever.

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