Safe Havens

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), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a), provides that noncitizens who have been “admitted to the United States” shall be deportable if they fall within one or more specified classes of deportable noncitizens.  See § 4.34, supra.  Many specific statutory grounds of deportation, including the aggravated felony conviction ground of deportation, also expressly require a conviction after admission to the United States, [10] and this requirement applies to convictions before and after the 1952 Act.[11] 

[10] 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”); 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”).

[11] 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.