An adjudication of delinquency is not a conviction for immigration purposes. Matter of Devison, 22 I. & N. Dec. 1362 (BIA 2000). However, a noncitizen can be inadmissible from the United States if s/he admits the essential elements of a crime involving moral turpitude or a controlled substance offense. In order for a noncitizens statements to constitute a valid admission: (1) the conduct must be for something that is a crime, (2) the government must provide a plain language description of the crime, and (3) the admission must be voluntary. The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) has held that an adult cannot admit essential elements of controlled substance or moral turpitude offense if the conduct required mandatory delinquency treatment. Matter of MU, 2 I. & N. Dec. 92 (BIA 1944). For example, a 25 year-old noncitizen admitted setting a fire in a national forest when she was 11. Under the Federal Juvenile Delinquency Act (FJDA) no one under the age of 12 can be tried as adult. Even if the noncitizen voluntarily provided the information, the statements are not an admission since s/he could only face delinquency charges under FJDA standards. Different states have different standards to determine when a child can be charged as an adult. By examining the rules for when a child can be charged as an adult in a particular jurisdiction, a practitioner can determine whether her or his clients statements could be treated as an admission of a crime. Thanks to Dan Kesselbrenner and the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild for this argument.