Safe Havens



 
 

§ 7.158 (B)

 
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(B)  Juvenile Court Orders.  This deportation ground may apply to juveniles, as well as adults, since it does not depend on the existence of a criminal conviction, and it is likely (though not certain) that a juvenile court would be considered a “civil or criminal court” for this purpose.  It is therefore important to avoid a juvenile-court finding that the minor violated a domestic violence TRO.  If such a finding is suffered, appealing the finding will arguably delay its finality and prevent the immigration authorities from using it to begin deportation proceedings until the appeal is over.[1197]           Immigration counsel can argue that authority holding juvenile court findings do not constitute convictions[1198] would preclude deportability based on this type of finding as well.[1199]


[1197] K. Brady, California Criminal Law And Immigration § § 2.1, 8.25 (2004).

[1198] Matter of Ramirez-Rivero, 18 I. & N. Dec. 135 (BIA 1981); Matter of CM, 5 I. & N. Dec. 327 (BIA 1953) (juvenile finding of commission of crime involving moral turpitude does not constitute a “conviction” or trigger inadmissibility).

[1199] Counsel can argue that a juvenile-court finding that a juvenile violated a domestic-violence protection order cannot constitute a ground of deportation for the same reasons a criminal conviction cannot constitute a conviction-based ground of deportation.  See Chapter 4, infra.

 

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