In terms of the law, the legal status of individual will refer to a particular position within a society as it applies to the law. Legal status, therefore, will define the extent the rights and regulations that apply to a particular person of a certain legal status.
Legal status can be applied with different meanings in various jurisdictions, though in terms of immigration laws, it refers to either being a legal citizen or resident of a country. A person that does not have the proper documentation or authority to be in a particular country will usually be designated the status of illegal immigrant.
Having the legal status of an illegal immigrant will have certain repercussions enforceable by law if ever caught. Typically speaking, an illegal immigrant, if caught, will usually be deported to their country of origin. However, the situation gets more complicated in the case that not only an individual has a legal status of an illegal immigrant but is also guilty of committing a crime.
One aspect to consider in regards to an illegal immigrant status that it is usually very difficult to appropriately assess who falls within that category without conducting some sort of investigation.
Therefore, most illegal immigrants will usually carry out their lives as normal citizens do. Due to the current debate of immigration in the United States, reporting illegal immigrants may be more commonplace than it was in the past, particularly on the part of those against immigration amnesty.
