Safe Havens
- §7.1 I. Introduction: Partial Safe Havens Defined
- §7.2 II. Aggravated Felony Safe Havens
- §7.3 A. Elements of the Aggravated Felony Deportation Ground
- §7.4 1. Alienage
- §7.5 2. Conviction
- §7.6 3. After Admission
- §7.7 4. Of a Substantive Offense, Attempt, or Conspiracy
- §7.8 a. Accessory After the Fact
- §7.9 b. Aiding and Abetting
- §7.10 c. Facilitation
- §7.11 d. Misprision of a Felony
- §7.12 e. Solicitation
- §7.13 f. Other Non-Substantive Offenses
- §7.14 5. That Falls Within a Generic Aggravated Felony Category
- §7.15 6. Foreign Conviction Date Requirement
- §7.16 7. That is a Violation of Federal or State Law
- §7.17 8. Parentheticals and “Related To” Language
- §7.18 B. Aggravated Felony Sentences
- §7.19 1. Aggravated Felonies Based on Felony Level of Offense
- §7.20 a. Aggravated Misdemeanors
- §7.21 b. Felony Requirement for Crimes of Violence Under 18 U.S.C. 16(b)
- §7.22 c. Felony Requirement for Drug Trafficking Aggravated Felonies
- §7.23 d. Reduction from Felony to Misdemeanor
- §7.24 2. Offenses That Are Aggravated Felonies Only If 1 Year Is Imposed
- §7.25 a. Definition of Sentence Imposed
- §7.26 b. Techniques for Avoiding a 1-Year Sentence
- §7.27 c. Effective Post-Conviction Relief from Sentence
- §7.28 3. Offenses Defined in Terms of Potential Sentence
- §7.29 C. Safe Havens for Specific Aggravated Felony Offenses
- §7.30 1. Accessory After the Fact
- §7.31 2. Alien Harboring
- §7.32 3. Alien Smuggling
- §7.33 4. Alien Transporting
- §7.34 5. Attempt
- §7.35 6. Bribery — Commercial
- §7.36 7. Bribery of Witness
- §7.37 8. Burglary
- §7.38 9. Child Pornography
- §7.39 10. Conspiracy
- §7.40 11. Counterfeiting
- §7.41 12. Crimes of Violence
- §7.42 a. Statutory Definition of Both Prongs
- §7.43 b. Sentence Imposed Requirement
- §7.44 c. 18 U.S.C. 16(a)
- §7.45 i. No Element of Force
- §7.46 ii. No Listed Offense: Use, Threat, or Attempt
- §7.47 iii. Insufficient Physical Force
- §7.48 iv. Not Against Person or Property of Another
- §7.49 v. Insufficient Intent Element
- §7.50 vi. Political Offense Exception
- §7.51 d. 18 U.S.C. 16(b)
- §7.52 i. Conviction Not a Felony
- §7.53 ii. Not by its Nature
- §7.54 iii. No Substantial Risk
- §7.55 iv. Insufficient Physical Force
- §7.56 v. Not Against Person or Property of Another
- §7.57 vi. Not in Commission of Offense
- §7.58 vii. Not Use of Force
- §7.59 viii. Insufficient Intent Element
- §7.60 e. Other Safe Havens
- §7.61 13. Deceit
- §7.62 14. Destructive Device Trafficking
- §7.63 15. Document Fraud
- §7.64 16. Drug Trafficking
- §7.65 a. Elements of Both Prongs
- §7.66 b. Felony Requirement Safe Haven
- §7.67 c. Unidentified Drug Safe Haven
- §7.68 d. No Commercial Element Safe Haven
- §7.69 e. No Federal Analogue Safe Haven
- §7.70 f. Rehabilitative Relief Safe Haven
- §7.71 g. Other Safe Havens
- §7.72 17. Extortion
- §7.73 18. Failure To Appear in Court
- §7.74 a. To Face Charges
- §7.75 b. To Serve Sentence
- §7.76 19. Firearms Offenses
- §7.77 a. Firearms Trafficking
- §7.78 b. Other Firearms Offenses
- §7.79 20. Forgery
- §7.80 21. Fraud
- §7.81 a. Nature of the Offense
- §7.82 b. Loss to the Victim(s)
- §7.83 22. Illegal Re-Entry After Deportation
- §7.84 23. Kidnapping
- §7.85 24. Misprision of a Felony
- §7.86 25. Money Laundering
- §7.87 26. Murder
- §7.88 27. National Security Offenses
- §7.89 28. Obstruction of Justice
- §7.90 29. Perjury
- §7.91 30. Prostitution
- §7.92 31. Rape
- §7.93 32. Receiving Stolen Property
- §7.94 33. Revealing Undercover Agent’s Identity
- §7.95 34. RICO Offenses
- §7.96 35. Sexual Abuse of a Minor
- §7.97 a. No Element Involving Sex
- §7.98 b. No Element of Abuse
- §7.99 c. No Proof of Age
- §7.100 36. Solicitation
- §7.101 37. Statutory Rape
- §7.102 38. Tax Evasion
- §7.103 39. Theft
- §7.104 40. Vehicles With ID Numbers Removed - Trafficking
- §7.105 III. Crime of Moral Turpitude Safe Havens
- §7.106 A. Safe Havens for Both Deportation Grounds
- §7.107 B. Non-Substantive Offense Safe Havens
- §7.108 C. Regulatory Offenses
- §7.109 D. Safe Intents
- §7.110 1. Intent Required
- §7.111 2. Safe Levels of Intent
- §7.112 a. Strict Liability (i.e., No Criminal Intent)
- §7.113 b. General Intent (to Commit an Act)
- §7.114 c. Intent to Break the Law
- §7.115 d. Negligence
- §7.116 e. Gross Negligence
- §7.117 f. Recklessness
- §7.118 g. Willfulness/Knowledge
- §7.119 h. Other Safe Intents
- §7.120 i. Intent to Commit a Non-CMT
- §7.121 ii. Intent To Temporarily Deprive
- §7.122 iii. Malice
- §7.123 3. Differing Definitions of Common Levels of Intent
- §7.124 E. Other Safe Havens
- §7.125 F. Deportation Resulting from 1 Conviction
- §7.126 1. Elements of Ground of Deportation
- §7.127 2. Sentence Requirement
- §7.128 a. Maximum Sentence Under 1 Year
- §7.129 b. Former Versions
- §7.130 3. Not Committed Within 5 (or 10) Years of Admission
- §7.131 G. Deportability Resulting From 2 or More CMT Convictions
- §7.132 1. Elements of the Deportation Ground
- §7.133 2. Single Scheme Exception
- §7.134 3. Effect of Previous Grant of Relief
- §7.135 4. Attempt and Conspiracy
- §7.136 IV. Other Criminal Grounds
- §7.137 A. Controlled Substances Abuser or Addict
- §7.138 B. Controlled Substances Conviction
- §7.139 1. Elements of the Deportation Ground
- §7.140 2. General Safe Havens
- §7.141 3. Offense is Not a Substantive Offense, Attempt or Conspiracy
- §7.142 4. Offense Is Not Relating To a Controlled Substance
- §7.143 5. Drug is Not A Federally Listed Controlled Substance
- §7.144 6. Personal Possession of 30 Grams of Marijuana
- §7.145 7. Effective Rehabilitative Relief
- §7.146 8. Other Safe Havens
- §7.147 C. Domestic Violence Conviction Safe Havens
- §7.148 1. Elements of Deportation Ground
- §7.149 2. General Safe Havens
- §7.150 3. Offense is Not a Listed Substantive Offense
- §7.151 4. Non-Substantive Offenses
- §7.152 5. Conviction After Effective Date
- §7.153 6. Crime of Violence Safe Havens
- §7.154 a. Not a Listed Victim
- §7.155 b. Not a Crime Against the Person
- §7.156 7. Stalking
- §7.157 8. Child Abuse, Neglect or Abandonment
- §7.158 D. Domestic Violence Protection Order Violation Court Finding
- §7.159 1. Elements of Deportation Ground
- §7.160 2. Not Enjoined
- §7.161 3. Not a Court Finding
- §7.162 4. Finding by Wrong Court
- §7.163 5. Finding Not After Admission
- §7.164 6. Violation Not After Effective Date
- §7.165 7. Violation of Wrong Portion of Protection Order
- §7.166 E. Export Violation Conduct
- §7.167 F. Firearms or Destructive Device Conviction
- §7.168 1. Elements of Deportation Ground
- §7.169 2. General Safe Havens
- §7.170 3. Offense is Not a Listed Offense
- §7.171 4. Weapon is Not a Firearm or Destructive Device
- §7.172 a. Unidentified or Unlisted Weapon
- §7.173 b. Antique Firearm Exception
- §7.174 c. Ammunition Offenses
- §7.175 5. Sporting or Cultural Use Exception
- §7.176 6. Non-Substantive Offenses
- §7.177 a. In General
- §7.178 b. Attempt or Conspiracy
- §7.179 7. Other Safe Havens
- §7.179A G. Sex Offender Registration Violation
- §7.180 V. Immigration Grounds
- §7.181 A. Border Crossing Conviction
- §7.182 B. Failure to File Change of Address Conduct
- §7.183 C. False Claim to U.S. Citizenship Conduct
- §7.184 D. Fraud — Document Fraud Administrative Finding
- §7.185 E. Fraud — Marriage Fraud Conduct
- §7.186 F. Fraud — Registration Document Fraud Conviction
- §7.187 G. Fraud — Visa Fraud Conviction
- §7.188 H. High Speed Flight From Immigration Checkpoint Conviction
- §7.189 I. Public Charge Conduct
- §7.190 J. Smuggling — Alien Smuggling Conduct
- §7.191 K. Smuggling — Importation for Immoral Purpose Conviction
- §7.192 L. Unlawful Voting Conduct
- §7.193 VI. Immigration Status Violation Grounds
- §7.194 A. Conditional Permanent Residence Termination Conduct
- §7.195 B. Health Entry Conditions Violation Conduct
- §7.196 C. Inadmissibility at Adjustment of Status Conduct
- §7.197 D. Inadmissibility at Entry Conduct
- §7.198 E. Nonimmigrant Status Violation Conduct
- §7.199 F. Present in the United States in Violation of Law Conduct
- §7.200 G. Visa Revocation Conduct
- §7.201 VII. Security Grounds
- §7.202 A. Enemy Citizens During Wartime Conduct
- §7.203 B. Espionage Conduct
- §7.204 C. Espionage Conviction
- §7.205 D. Extrajudicial Killing Conduct
- §7.206 E. Foreign Agent Registration Act Conviction
- §7.207 F. Foreign Espionage Trainee Registration Conviction
- §7.208 G. Foreign Policy Conduct
- §7.209 H. Genocide Conduct
- §7.210 I. National Security Violation Conduct
- §7.211 J. Nazi Persecutors Conduct
- §7.212 K. Neutrality Law Conviction
- §7.213 L. Overthrow of the Government Conduct
- §7.214 M. Public Safety Conduct
- §7.215 N. Religious Freedom Violation Conduct
- §7.216 O. Sabotage Conduct
- §7.217 P. Sabotage Conviction
- §7.218 Q. Selective Service Conviction
- §7.219 R. Terrorist Conduct
- §7.220 S. Terrorist Training Recipient Conduct
- §7.221 T. Threats Against the President and Successors Conviction
- §7.222 U. Torture Conduct
- §7.223 V. Trading With the Enemy Conviction
- §7.224 W. Treason or Sedition Conviction
§ 7.22 (A)
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(A) Felony Requirement. Two groups of controlled substances offenses fall within the illicit drug trafficking aggravated felony definition:[171]
(a) felony convictions, including sales, possession for sale, conspiracy to sell, and other offenses common sense indicates fall within the meaning of “illicit trafficking in a controlled substance.”
Any conviction for an offense that fits the common meaning of “illicit trafficking” in a federally controlled substance and that is punishable by a sentence of more than one year is an aggravated felony.[172] This definition requires a conviction to be a “felony” in order to constitute an aggravated felony under this prong of the drug trafficking aggravated felony definition. The BIA interprets this to mean any felony drug offense under the common understanding of the word “trafficking,” which includes a commercial element.
(b) felony convictions for controlled substances offenses exactly analogous to a federal drug offense.[173] This includes simple possession convictions under certain circumstances in certain circuits.
Both prongs of this drug trafficking aggravated felony require that the conviction be a felony before it can constitute an aggravated felony.
[171] Gerbier v. Holmes, 280 F.3d 297 (3d Cir.2002) (state narcotics violation is aggravated felony when: (1) crime categorized as felony under state law and involves drug “trafficking”; or (2) state drug violation, regardless of categorization, would be punishable as felony under an analogous federal statute).
[172] INA § 101(a)(43)(B), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(B); Matter of Davis, 20 I. & N. Dec. 536 (BIA 1992). Although Matter of Yanez, 23 I. & N. Dec. 390 (BIA 2002), expressly modified Davis, it appears that the BIA’s concern was with the “drug trafficking crime” prong of the definition, and not the “common meaning of illicit trafficking” prong. Yanez-Garcia v. Ashcroft, 388 F.3d 280 (7th Cir. Nov. 2, 2004) (dismissing for lack of jurisdiction a petition for review seeking to reverse Board of Immigration Appeals’ decision that single possession offense can qualify as aggravated felony drug trafficking crime).
[173] INA § 101(a)(43)(B), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(B).
