Criminal Defense of Immigrants
Chapter
- §10.1 I. Introduction
- §10.2 II. Roles of Court and Counsel
- §10.3 III. Goals of Sentencing
- §10.4 A. Criminal Goals of Sentence
- §10.5 B. Immigration-Related Goals of Sentence
- §10.6 C. Balancing Immigration with Criminal Goals
- §10.7 D. Relationship to Plea Bargaining
- §10.8 IV. Preparation
- §10.9 A. Avoiding Damaging Admissions
- §10.10 B. Defense Sentencing Materials
- §10.11 C. Probation Interview
- §10.12 D. Preparing for Allocution
- §10.13 V. Sentence Hearing
- §10.14 A. Specific Tactics
- §10.15 1. Tactics to Avoid Conviction
- §10.16 2. Avoiding Service of Sentence
- §10.17 3. Neutralizing Probation Report as Part of Record
- §10.18 4. Tactics to Avoid Sentence Imposed
- §10.19 5. Tactics to Minimize Maximum Sentence
- §10.20 6. Tactics to Minimize Restitution Order
- §10.21 7. Tactics to Minimize Level of Offense
- §10.22 8. Qualifying Client for Post-Conviction Relief
- §10.23 B. Arguments in Mitigation
- §10.24 1. Prosecution Policy Not To Favor Immigrants
- §10.25 2. Judicial Policy to Consider Collateral Impact of Sentence
- §10.26 3. Equities
- §10.27 4. Immigration Status or Hold
- §10.28 5. Cultural Mitigation Issues
- §10.29 6. Persecution and Torture of Client if Deported
- §10.30 7. Other Arguments
- §10.31 C. Federal Sentencing Issues
- §10.32 D. State Sentencing Issues
- §10.33 E. Evidentiary Hearing
- §10.34 VI. Post-Conviction Relief at Sentencing
- §10.35 A. Current Case
- §10.36 B. Prior Convictions
- §10.37 VII. Special Immigration-Related Proceedings
- §10.38 A. Special Proceedings At Sentence
- §10.39 1. Former Judicial Recommendation Against Deportation
- §10.40 2. Judicial Deportation Proceedings at Federal Sentence
- §10.41 B. Special Proceedings After Sentence
- §10.42 1. Early Release to Removal
- §10.43 2. Prisoner Transfer Treaties
- §10.44 VIII. Probation Violation Proceedings
- §10.45 A. Immigration Effects
- §10.46 1. Probation Violations and Convictions
- §10.47 2. Avoiding Damaging Admissions
- §10.48 3. Probation Violation Sentences
- §10.49 B. Negotiating Probation Violations
- §10.50 IX. Concluding the Representation
- §10.51 A. Saying Goodbye
- §10.52 B. Documenting the Disposition
- §10.53 C. Immigration Advice
- §10.54 X. Effect of Sentence on Nature of Offense
- §10.55 A. Sentence As Part of "Record of Conviction"
- §10.56 B. Sentence Enhancements
- §10.57 1. Effects of Sentence Enhancements
- §10.58 2. Recidivist Enhancements
- §10.59 3. Firearm Enhancements
- §10.60 4. Other Conduct-Based Enhancements
- §10.61 C. Finality
- §10.62 XI. Immigration Consequences of Sentence
- §10.63 A. "Sentence Imposed"
- §10.64 B. Type of Confinement
- §10.65 C. Sentence Ordered by the Court
- §10.66 1. Aggravated Felonies
- §10.67 2. Crime of Moral Turpitude
- §10.68 3. Mandatory Detention
- §10.69 4. Petty Offense Exception to Inadmissibility
- §10.70 D. Aggregate Sentences Imposed
- §10.71 1. Multiple Conviction Ground of Inadmissibility
- §10.72 2. Withholding of Deportation (Restriction on Removal)
- §10.73 E. Actual Confinement
- §10.74 1. Good Moral Character 180-Day Bar
- §10.75 2. INA §212(c) Waiver 5-Year Bar
- §10.76 F. Maximum Potential Confinement
- §10.77 1. Definition
- §10.78 2. Aggravated Felonies
- §10.79 3. Crime of Moral Turpitude Deportation Ground
- §10.80 4. Petty Offense Exception to Inadmissibility
- §10.81 G. Probation or Parole
- §10.82 H. Restitution Orders and Loss to the Victim(s)
- §10.83 1. Fraud Offenses
- §10.84 2. Tax Evasion Offenses
- §10.85 3. Money Laundering Offenses
- §10.86 I. Level of Offense
- §10.87 1. Felony Conviction
- §10.88 2. Immigration Consequences
- §10.89 a. Aggravated Felonies Drug Trafficking
- §10.90 b. Aggravated Felony Crimes of Violence Under 18 U.S.C. 16(b)
- §10.91 c. Disqualification from Relief
- §10.92 3. Misdemeanor Conviction
- §10.93 4. Very Minor Offenses
- §10.94 J. Immigration Holds and Detention
§ 10.29 6. Persecution and Torture of Client if Deported
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Many immigrants flee persecution and torture by coming to the United States. They may apply for various forms of immigration relief, and obtain lawful status here, by establishing in immigration court and before immigration agencies that these threats to their wellbeing will occur if they are deported. These facts can constitute mitigating circumstances that can motivate a criminal prosecutor or court to impose a non-deportable sentence. See § 3.61, supra.
