Can an old drug charge keep my from getting citizenship?

If your drug conviction is an aggravated felony, it is a permanent bar from US citizenship. If you apply for citizenship or even to renew your green card, this may come to the attention of Dept of Homeland Security who, may commence proceedings for your deportation from United States. As further inconvenience, removal proceedings based on an aggravated felony conviction may subject you to s.236(c) INA mandatory detention for the duration of the deportation proceedings. Also, conviction for an aggravated felony offense occurring after 1996 bars virtually all forms of relief. To ensure that these stark facts do not come true for you, please run, not walk and speak to an experienced immigration lawyer before attempting to do anything.

Your question requires an attorney consultation. It is not a simple question that can be answered on this type of forum. There are many factors that would need to be considered and evaluated. Depending on the illegal substance and the exact charges you pled to, it could affect your ability to naturalize. I strongly suggest that you contact an experienced immigration attorney for a face-to-face consultation and give him/her all of the facts surrounding your situation. He/she would then be in a better position to analyze your case and advise you of your options.

It can. You should obtain the documents and consult with an immigration lawyer.