Safe Havens

(D)  Foreign Criminal Procedures.  A conviction in a foreign country can trigger deportation, even if it does not conform to all the constitutional guarantees required of United States convictions.[334]  In order to constitute a conviction, however, under the statutory definition of conviction, the foreign procedures should be required to show sufficient characteristics of United States crimes and criminal procedure that they result in a conviction that can be called a crime under the definition of United States law.  See § 4.11, supra.

[334] Brice v. Pickett, 515 F.2d 153 (9th Cir. 1975) (foreign possession of marijuana); Matter of Romandia-Herreros, 11 I. & N. Dec. 772 (BIA 1966) (Mexican conviction for narcotics violation in United States). Pasquini v. INS, 557 F.2d 536 (5th Cir. 1977); Brice v. Pickett, 515 F.2d 153 (9th Cir. 1975); Matter of Awadh, 15 I. & N. Dec. 775 (BIA 1976) (Canadian conviction); Matter of Gutierrez, 14 I. & N. Dec. 457 (BIA 1973); Matter of M, 9 I. & N. Dec. 132 (BIA 1960).