Professor Hing Comments on Supreme Court Decision for ‘Racewire'
Professor Bill Hing commented on the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision granting new protections for immigrants facing detention for the ‘Racewire,' the blog of Colorlines magazine.
The ruling in Padilla v. Kentucky requires defense attorneys to accurately advise their non-citizen clients of the potential immigration consequences of pleading guilty to a crime. The Court ruling may have "a very big impact," Professor Hing said, as many immigrants, including green card holders, have been deported as a result of guilty pleas.
"Eighty to 90 percent of criminal cases result in a plea bargain and that means that it's probably the case that 80 to 90 percent of people who are deported because of crimes probably also resulted from a plea bargain," said Professor Hing.
Professor Hing is recognized nationally as an immigration law and community lawyering expert. He is the founder of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center in San Francisco.