Foreign student gets open container offense citation.

Let's not blow this out of proportion - make sure friend has a reputable traffic court attorney defend this in traffic court. That's all. No need for immigration lawyer at this point.

Your friend should hire a local criminal defense/traffic ticket lawyer to represent him. I do not believe he will need an immigration lawyer. The outcome of his case depends on his age, prior criminal history, and his behavior toward the police officer. It also largely depends on which court his case is being prosecuted in. The possible outcomes of his case include: 1) dismissal of the case after he completes an alcohol education class, 2) amendment of the charge to "Littering" after he pays a fine & court costs, or 3) dismissal of the charge after he completes a period of probation. Ask an experienced local attorney who is familiar with the court in which your friend's case is being prosecuted. They can give your friend an idea of the most likely outcome based on their experience with similar cases in that court.

Probably no immigration lawyer needed. Get a criminal defense attorney. Once they work on the ticket for awhile they will then tell you if an immigration lawyer is needed. Hopefully not. These types of charges get amended all of the time to something less serious that does not have dire consequences. Just make sure you hire an attorney and do not miss the court date.