BIA

ALIEN SMUGGLING
Matter of Alvarado-Alvino, 22 I. & N. Dec. 718 (BIA May 24, 1999) (federal conviction of illegal entry, in violation of INA § 275(a), 8 U.S.C. 1325, is not an aggravated felony under INA § 101(a)(43)(N), 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(43)(N), which specifically refers to those offenses relating to alien smuggling described in INA § 274(a)(1)(A) and (2), 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A) and (2)).

ALIEN SMUGGLING
Matter of LS, 22 I. & N. Dec. 645 (BIA Apr. 16, 1999) (federal conviction of bringing illegal aliens into the United States, in violation of INA § 274(a), 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a), is an aggravated felony under INA 101(a)(43)(N), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(N) for deportation purposes).

ALIEN TRANSPORTATION
Matter of Ruiz-Romero, 22 I. & N. Dec. 486 (BIA Feb. 1, 1999) (federal conviction of transporting an illegal alien within the United States, in violation of INA § 274(a)(1)(A)(ii), 8 U.S.C. 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii), was an aggravated felony as defined in INA § 101(a)(43)(N), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(N), and therefore triggers deportation under 8 U.S.C. § 1251(a)(2)(A)(iii)), distinguishing Matter of IM, 7 I. & N. Dec. 389 (BIA Jan. 15, 1957)).

Third Circuit

AGGRAVATED FELONY - ALIEN SMUGGLING - AIDING AND ABETTING
Biskupski v. Attorney Gen. of the US, __ F.3d __, 2007 WL 2774528 (3d Cir. Sept. 25, 2007) (federal misdemeanor conviction of violating 8 U.S.C. 1324(a)(2)(A), aiding and abetting alien smuggling, is an "aggravated felony" even though only punishable as a misdemeanor under federal law).

ALIEN HARBORING
Patel v. Ashcroft, 294 F.3d 465 (3d Cir. June 20, 2002) (federal conviction of harboring an undocumented noncitizen, in violation of INA § 101(a)(1)(A), 8 U.S.C. 1324(a)(1)(A), met the definition of an "aggravated felony" under INA § 101(a)(43)(N), 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(43)(N), for immigration purposes, despite the fact that defendant had no part in the harbored persons illegal admission or entry).

Fifth Circuit

ALIEN TRANSPORTATION
United States v. Solis-Campozano, 312 F.3d 164 (5th Cir. Nov. 12, 2002) (federal conviction for transporting aliens within the United States, in violation of INA § 274(a)(1)(A)(ii), 8 U.S.C. 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii), was an "alien smuggling offense" within meaning of the Sentencing Guidelines for purpose of constituting an aggravated felony to enhance a sentence under U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2(b)(1)(A)(vii) for illegal re-entry).

ALIEN TRANSPORTATION
Ruiz-Romero v. Reno, 205 F.3d 837 (5th Cir. Mar. 3, 2000) (federal conviction of transporting illegal noncitizens from one point to another within the United States without crossing a national border, in violation of INA § 274(a)(1)(A)(ii), 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii), triggered deportation as an aggravated felony, since the parenthetical phrase "(relating to alien smuggling)" found in INA § 101(a)(43)(N), 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(43)(N) does not restrict the statutory references that directly precede it).

ILLEGAL ENTRY - ALIEN SMUGGLING
Rivera-Sanchez v. Reno, 198 F.3d 545 (5th Cir. Dec. 30, 1999) (federal illegal entry conviction of violating INA § 275(a), 8 U.S.C. 1325(a) is outside the ambit of INA § 101(a)(43)(N), 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(43)(N), which is explicitly confined to convictions under INA § 274(a), 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a), and so is not an aggravated felony under that theory for immigration purposes).

ALIEN TRANSPORTATION
United States v. Monjaras-Castaneda, 190 F.3d 326 (5th Cir. Sept. 16, 1999), cert. denied, 528 U.S. 1194, 120 S.Ct. 1254 (2000) (federal conviction of transporting illegal noncitizens from one point to another within the United States without crossing a national border, in violation of INA § 274(a)(1)(A)(ii), 8 U.S.C. 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii), constituted an aggravated felony, for purposes of illegal re-entry sentence enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2(b)(1)(A), since the parenthetical phrase "(relating to alien smuggling)" found in INA § 101(a)(43)(N), 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(43)(N) does not restrict the statutory references that directly precede it).

Sixth Circuit

AIDING AND ABETTING - ALIEN SMUGGLING
Tapucu v. Gonzales, 399 F.3d 736 (6th Cir. Mar. 9, 2005) (federal conviction of driving an undocumented noncitizen to the United States border, and presenting him to the immigration authorities upon inspection, not knowing that the noncitizen is not entitled to enter the United States, at least on a temporary basis, does not constitute "alien smuggling").

Eighth Circuit

ALIEN HARBORING
Gavilan-Cuate v. Yetter, 276 F.3d 418 (8th Cir. Jan. 9, 2002) (federal conviction of conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens, in violation of INA § 274(a)(1)(A)(ii) and (iii), 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii) and (iii), constituted aggravated felony under INA § 101(a)(43)(N), 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(43)(N), despite parenthetical mentioning smuggling).

Ninth Circuit

AGGRAVATED FELONY - ALIEN SMUGGLING
United States v. Guzman-Mata, 579 F.3d 1065 (9th Cir. Aug. 27, 2009) (federal conviction for violation of 8 U.S.C. 1324(a)(1)(A) is categorically an "alien smuggling" offense; noncitizen bears burden of showing that "family" exception applies; shift of burden is not impermissible).

NOTE: This case relies upon the reasoning of Nijhawan v. Holder, 557 U.S. __, 129 S.Ct. 2294 (2009).

AIDING AND ABETTING - ALIEN SMUGGLING
United States v. Garcia, 400 F.3d 816 (9th Cir. Mar. 11, 2005) (federal conviction of aiding and abetting is not a separate offense from the substantive offenses of alien smuggling and transportation of aliens, but rather a different theory of liability for the same offense).

ALIEN HARBORING
Castro-Espinosa v. Ashcroft, 257 F.3d 1130 (9th Cir. July 17, 2001) (federal conviction of harboring illegal aliens in violation of INA 274(a)(1)(A)(iii), 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A)(iii) is an "aggravated felony," under INA § 101(a)(43)(N), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(N), for removal purposes).

ALIEN TRANSPORTATION
United States v. Galindo-Gallegos, 244 F.3d 728 (9th Cir. Mar. 27, 2001), amended, 255 F.3d 1154 (9th Cir. July 12, 2001) (federal conviction of transporting illegal aliens who were already in United States, in violation of INA § 274(a)(1)(A)(ii), 8 U.S.C. 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii), constituted an aggravated felony under INA § 101(a)(43)(N), 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(43)(N), for purposes of enhancing sentence for illegal re-entry).

Tenth Circuit

ALIEN TRANSPORTATION
United States v. Martinez-Candejas, 347 F.3d 853 (10th Cir. Oct. 21, 2003) (federal conviction of alien smuggling includes transportation and harboring for purposes of 16-level enhancement of illegal re-entry sentence under U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2(b)(1)(A)(vii) (2002) based on prior aggravated felony conviction).

ALIEN TRANSPORTATION
United States v. Salas-Mendoza, 237 F.3d 1246 (10th Cir. Jan. 22, 2001) (federal conviction of transporting aliens, in violation of INA § 274(a)(1)(A), 8 U.S.C. 1324(a)(1)(A), was an "aggravated felony" under INA § 101(a)(43)(N), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(N), for purposes of sentence enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 2L1.2(b)(1)(A) of illegal re-entry sentence).