In the aftermath of the tragic shooting at Old Dominion University that killed Army ROTC instructor Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, many people online are asking a seemingly simple question:
Why wasn’t the shooter deported earlier?
The legal answer is far more complicated than the internet commentary suggests.
In this episode of The Rule of Law Brief, attorney Nate Charles explains how three distinct areas of law intersect in situations like this:
• Immigration law• Criminal law• National security law
The episode walks through several key legal concepts that are often misunderstood in public discussions of terrorism and immigration:
1. Inadmissibility vs. DeportabilityWhy the rules governing who can enter the United States are very different from the rules governing who can be removed after they are already here.
2. The Role of Criminal ProsecutionHow terrorism-related activity is often addressed first through federal criminal law rather than immigration law.
3. Citizenship and NaturalizationWhy once someone becomes a U.S. citizen, immigration law generally stops applying—and deportation is no longer legally available.
4. DenaturalizationThe narrow circumstances under which the government can strip citizenship that was obtained through fraud or illegality.
The goal of this episode is not to minimize the tragedy at Old Dominion University. Rather, it is to clarify how the legal system actually works when complex national security issues intersect with immigration law.
As Nate explains, immigration law does not operate on slogans. It operates on specific statutory categories that often make situations like this legally more complicated than political rhetoric suggests.
The episode also discusses why these intersections between immigration law, national security law, and criminal law are often misunderstood—even within the legal profession.
Charles International Law is currently developing online training programs for legal practitioners interested in better understanding these intersections, particularly in the context of counterterrorism and national security cases.
In moments like this, clarity matters.
Many people online are asking why the Old Dominion University shooter wasn’t deported earlier.
The legal answer is much more complicated than the internet commentary suggests.
In this episode of The Rule of Law Brief, Nate Charles explains how immigration law actually works when it intersects with terrorism, criminal law, and citizenship—and why deportation often isn’t legally possible once someone becomes a U.S. citizen.
If you want to understand the difference between inadmissibility, deportability, and denaturalization, this short briefing walks through the law clearly and without political spin.
