In a world where the U.S. federal government still executes incarcerated people, it’s easy to see the nation-state’s vicious obsession with the idea of “irredeemable criminality.” There are few places in the U.S. where this obsession is more on display than in the immigration system. But in order for the immigration system to change, we must first advocate for this nuance to be considered when breaking down the dichotomies reinforced through stigmatizing laws and restrictions against people with convictions. And, importantly, this work must extend beyond the criminal justice system and beyond the idea of punishment. The immigration system will never change as long as the U.S. judicial system remains carceral. Unless we acknowledge that punishment and punitive measures are not the solution for harm prevention, we will never move past the specter of the criminal—foreign or domestic—and the U.S. immigration system will only continue to be a form of double punishment.