The term “immigration status” refers to a person’s classification under United States immigration laws.  To adequately protect the interests of a noncitizen client, a defense attorney must first find out the client's immigration status.  This section explains the possible classifications of immigration status under U.S. immigration law.  It also refers to other important immigration concepts, such as "inadmissibility," "aggravated felony," and "criminal grounds for deportability."  These concepts will be explained in detail later in this manual, but it is best to start by gaining an understanding of immigration status.