Safe Havens

While it is generally impossible collaterally to attack the validity of a criminal conviction in immigration court, for the purpose of forestalling deportation, immigration courts will entertain two specific claims that a conviction is legally defective: (1) convictions rendered by a criminal court that lacked jurisdiction over the case, see § 4.18, infra, and (2) convictions rendered in absentia, where the defendant did not receive adequate notice of the proceedings.  See § 4.19, infra.