Petition to Deport Justin Bieber on Its Way to White House

A group of people are trying to get Justin Bieber deported back to Canada. They’ve put together an online petition that describes Bieber as reckless, destructive, and a drug abuser. The petition has amassed enough signatures to earn official review from the White House.

The petition, “Deport Justin Bieber and revoke his green card,” was established on the site, We the People. It was created after the Canadian singer and songwriter was arrested for DUI, driving with an expired license, and resisting arrest on January 23, 2014 in Miami Beach.

With over 273,000 signatures to date, the petition has earned enough signatures to receive a White House review.

The 21-year-old lives in Beverly Hills and is reported to possess an O-1B visa. Such visas are based on “extraordinary achievement” in the arts, TV or film.

Following his 2014 DUI arrest in South Florida, over 270,000 people petitioned the White House to have Bieber deported. Though the number of signatures are sufficient for a review under the White House guidelines, the Obama Administration has declined to comment on the petition.

In retaliation to the petition demanding that the “One Less Lonely Girl” singer be deported, Bieber supporters (Beliebers) created their own petition on the We the People site, “Stop Justin Bieber from getting deported.”

This petition argues that the idea of Justin Bieber getting deported is “completely unfair.” Saying that that he doesn’t deserve this, that’s he’s human. That he’s not perfect.

Immigration Experts Doubt Deportation

Immigration law experts say that it’s highly unlikely that Bieber will be deported. One reason being that about a decade ago, the Supreme Court ruled that DUI is not typically a deportable offense.

In the January 2014 DUI case, Bieber settled to a plea bargain where he pleaded guilty to resisting an officer without violence, and to careless driving, in exchange for dropped DUI charges.

He was fined $500, sentenced to an alcohol education course and 12 hours of anger management classes. As a part of his deal, he donated $50,000 to a children’s charity.

Toxicology results found that Bieber’s blood alcohol level was below the 0.02 limit for drivers under the age of 21. He did however, test positive for marijuana and the anti-anxiety drug, Xanax, NBC Miami reported.

Searching for a Miami DUI attorney? Contact my office, the Jonathan Blecher, P.A. to discuss your DUI charges with a former prosecutor, who’s handled over 3,000 DUI and suspended license cases since 1982. 

Will a DUI Stop Me From Getting a Passport?

When people are arrested for DUI, they know that a conviction can easily mean upwards of $1,000 in fines, community service, imprisonment for up to 9 months, and up to a year license revocation – and that’s all just for a first offense.

With Florida’s harsh DUI penalties, it’s not surprising why someone who wishes to travel outside of the U.S. for work or pleasure might worry how a DUI might affect their ability to get a passport.

Will a conviction for DUImake it so you can’t get a U.S. passport? Typically, a person’s passport privileges are not automatically revoked once someone is convicted of driving under the influence, even if they were convicted of a felony DUI.

While most people won’t be denied a passport because of a DUI conviction, it doesn’t mean that a DUI can’t technically block someone from getting a passport. For instance, it is possible for someone to be forbidden from getting a passport in the following circumstances:

• The defendant is considered to be a flight risk.
• They defendant is facing a felony-related subpoena.
• As a condition of probation or parole.

In the above scenarios, the court can revoke a defendant’s passport privileges, but this is more the exception than the rule.

You Could Face Restrictions When Travelling

The majority of DUI defendants don’t have any problems applying for a passport, however, they can face restrictions when travelling to certain countries. For example, Canada maintains the right to deny entry to noncitizens who have any criminal record, even for a simple DUI.

Even if you are able to obtain a U.S. passport, as long as you have a DUI conviction on your record, Canada may not let you in to the country; Mexico may not let you in either.

If you are convicted of a felony DUI, and you want to travel to Canada or Mexico via ship, you won’t be allowed to get off the boat. In effect, getting a U.S. passport may be easy, but you may not be let in to certain countries.

Contact my firm to fight your DUI charges, or if you have further questions about travelling outside of the U.S. with a DUI.