Lorth Sim/Cambodia/Robbery, Weapon Possession

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Lorth Sim in Providence, Rhode Island. The Cambodia national — here illegally — faces charges of robbery, weapon possession.

Violent offense charges carry serious criminal penalties and, for illegal aliens, near-certain immigration detention. Sim faces both a state criminal docket — where the charges carry significant sentencing exposure — and a federal immigration removal proceeding running in parallel. The two cases are legally independent of each other: a criminal conviction is not required for removal to be ordered, and an acquittal would not automatically stop deportation proceedings. Sim’s legal situation will unfold on both tracks.

Federal authorities have placed Sim in immigration detention pending the outcome of removal proceedings. A Department of Justice immigration court will determine whether Sim is deported to Cambodia.