Safe Havens

(A)  Grounds of Deportation Do Not Apply Unless Noncitizen Has Been Admitted.  In general, the conviction must have occurred “after the date of admission” in order to trigger deportation.  The statute defining grounds of deportation, INA § 237(a), provides that noncitizens “admitted to the United States” shall be deportable if they fall within one or more specified classes of deportable noncitizens.[304]  Many specific statutory grounds of deportation also expressly require a conviction after admission to the United States, [305] and this requirement applies to convictions before and after the 1952 Act.[306]

[304] INA § 237(a)(2)(A)(i)(I), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) (conviction of crime of moral turpitude); INA § 237(a)(2)(A)(ii), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(A)(ii) (multiple convictions of crimes of moral turpitude “at any time after admission”); INA § 237(a)(2)(A)(iii), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(A)(iii) (aggravated felony “at any time after admission”); INA § 237(a)(2)(B)(i), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(B)(i) (controlled substances conviction “at any time after admission”); INA § 237(a)(2)(B)(ii), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(B)(ii) (drug abuser or addict who is or “at any time after admission has been” convicted); INA § 237(a)(2)(C), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(C) (firearms conviction).

[305] E.g., INA § 237(a)(2)(A)(i)(I), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) (conviction of crime of moral turpitude); INA § 237(a)(2)(A)(ii), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(A)(ii) (multiple convictions of crimes of moral turpitude “at any time after admission”); INA § 237(a)(2)(A)(iii), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(A)(iii)(aggravated felony “at any time after admission”); INA § 237(a)(2)(B)(i), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(B)(i)(controlled substances conviction “at any time after admission”); INA § 237(a)(2)(B)(ii), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(B)(ii) (drug abuser or addict who is or “at any time after admission has been” convicted); INA § 237(a)(2)(C), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(C)(firearms conviction “at any time after admission”); INA § 237(a)(2)(E)(i), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(E)(i)(domestic violence conviction “at any time after admission”).

[306] Khan v. Barber, 253 F.2d 547 (9th Cir. 1958).  See the savings provision in the Immigration Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-649, § 602(c), 104 Stat. 4978, 5081.