State v. Santos

Jose Santos appeals from an order denying his postconviction motion to withdraw his guilty pleas because of ineffective assistance of counsel. The issue is whether trial counsel’s failure to inform defendant of the immigration consequences of his conviction constitutes ineffective assistance. We conclude that defendant was not denied effective assistance of counsel because counsel was not required to advise him of these collateral consequences. We therefore affirm.

Defendant is a Cuban who arrived in the United States as part of the Mariel boatlift in June, 1980. He *530pled guilty to three counts…