Joe Giudice Has More Than Jail Time To Worry About

With the sentencing of Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Joe and Teresa Giudice fast-approaching, the majority of the talk/speculation/commentary has been on whether or not the Giudices — one or both of them — will wind up in jail for their 40-some-odd charges. But, there's another issue Joe and Teresa may have to face come Sept. 23 when they learn their family's fate: Joe Giudice might be deported. To Italy. For real.

See, despite having lived in the United States since he was 1-year-old, Joe Giudice technically isn't a U.S. citizen; he's a legal U.S. immigrant, who's a citizen of Italy. And, apparently, when you break a law — or in Joe's case, allegedly several — you, in so many words, put your stay here in America in jeopardy. Immigration attorney Michael Wildes told E! News that if he's found guilty, Joe would first serve his time and then immigration could start the deportation process. "This is not a good position to be in. Joe's green card will not hold water," he explained. Wildes also added that it's "quite likely" that the RHONJ star will face the deportation process due to the Immigration and Nationality Act — but whether or not the government will go through with it is unclear.

It has to be a pretty terrifying thought that, on top of possibly going to jail for up to four years, Joe could also be removed from the country, taking him away from his family even longer. Teresa reportedly has been playing it cool, but this isn't something that should be taken lightly. How's this for a scary fact, Teresa: More than half of the people deported from the U.S. last year were removed from the country because of a criminal conviction, according to The Star-Ledger. Yikes. Might be time to get an immigration lawyer, also.

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