Aggravated Felonies

 

The following offenses constitute aggravated felonies regardless of the sentence imposed:

 

·    alien smuggling, except for a first conviction in which the person smuggled was an immediate family member.[556]

·    failure to appear

      -- for service of sentence if the underlying offense is punishable by a term of five years or more[557]

      -- before a court pursuant to a court order to answer to or dispose of a charge of a felony for which a sentence of two years’ imprisonment or more may be imposed.[558] 

·    financial transactions involving proceeds from specified unlawful activity[559]

·    fraud[560]

·    deceit[561]

·    money laundering[562]

·    murder[563]

·    prostitution business operation[564]

·    rape[565]

·    revealing the identity of domestic or international undercover agents[566]

·    RICO offenses in which a sentence of one year could have been imposed[567]

·    sexual abuse of a minor.[568]  Statutory rape probably will be held to constitute sexual abuse of a minor.

·    slavery and peonage [569]

·    tax evasion[570]

·    trafficking in controlled substances (e.g., possession for sale or sale of $10 of marijuana, or any state felony offense for simple possession).[571] 

·    trafficking in firearms or destructive devices (bombs, grenades)[572]

 

            Common sense will not help with these offenses.  They will be considered aggravated felonies, if they meet the definition, even if they are so minor no custody at all is imposed, and in some cases even if they constitute only misdemeanor convictions.[573]

[556] INA § 101(a)(43)(N), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(N).

[557] INA § 101(a)(43)(Q), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(Q).

[558] INA § 101(a)(43)(T), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(T).

[559] This category of offenses constitutes an aggravated felony only if the amount of funds exceeds $10,000.  INA § 101(a)(43)(D), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(D).

[560] This category of offenses constitutes an aggravated felony only if the loss suffered by the victim or the government was $10,000 or more.  8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(M)(i).

[561] This category of offenses constitutes an aggravated felony only if the loss suffered by the victim or the government was $10,000 or more.  8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(M)(i).

[562] This category of offenses constitutes an aggravated felony only if the amount of funds laundered exceeded $10,000.  INA § 101(a)(43)(D), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(D).

[563] INA § 101(a)(43)(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(A).

[564] INA § 101(a)(43)(K)(i)-(ii), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(K)(i)-(ii).

[565] INA § 101(a)(43)(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(A).

[566] INA § 101(a)(43)(L), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(L).

[567] INA § 101(a)(43)(J), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(J).

[568] INA § 101(a)(43)(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(A).

[569] INA § 101(a)(43)(K), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(K).  This includes an offense that “relates to the owning, controlling, managing, or supervising of a prostitution business” or that is described in 18 U.S.C. § § 2421-2423 and 1581-1585, 1588.

[570] INA § § 101(a)(43)(D), (M), 8 U.S.C. § § 1101(a)(43)(D), (M).  This offense (M) requires a loss in excess of $10,000 to be considered an aggravated felony.

[571] INA § 101(a)(43)(B), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(B).  See Matter of Yanez-Garcia, 23 I. & N. Dec. 390 (BIA 2002) (en banc).

[572] INA § 101(a)(43)(C), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(C).

[573] E.g., United States v. Graham, 169 F.2d 787 (3d Cir. 1999) (misdemeanor theft conviction with one-year suspended sentence held to be an aggravated felony conviction).