Criminal Defense of Immigrants

 

(B)  Certain Grounds of Inadmissibility are Inapplicable or May be Waived.  Certain exclusion grounds do not apply or can be waived.

 

                The following grounds of inadmissibility do not apply at all to Special Immigrant Juveniles, if they are based on circumstances that existed before the grant of this status:[1]

 

                (1) entry without inspection;[2]
                (2) public charge;[3]
                (3) entry without valid entry document;[4]
                (4) lack of labor certification.[5]

Other grounds of inadmissibility that may be waived in the discretion of the DHS for humanitarian purposes or family unity or when it is otherwise in the public interest include:[6]

 

                (5) being HIV positive;[7]
                (6) involvement in prostitution;[8]
                (7) mental or physical disorder that may pose a risk of harm to oneself or others;[9]
                (8) drug addict or abuser;[10]

                (9) re-entering U.S. within five years after deportation;[11]
                (10) aiding another to enter U.S. illegally;[12]
                (11) affiliation with Communist or other totalitarian party;[13] and
                (12) visa fraud in entry into the United States;[14]

Certain grounds of inadmissibility, however, may not be waived:

 

                (13) reason to believe illicit drug trafficking;[15]

                (14) crime of moral turpitude or controlled substances conviction or admission;[16]

                (15) multiple convictions with five-year sentence imposed;[17] and
                (16) reason to believe noncitizen is a national security concern.[18]

In addition, special immigrant juveniles are deemed “paroled”[19] into the U.S. and thus can adjust status[20] even if they entered without inspection.[21]

[1] INA § § 237(c), 245(h), 8 U.S.C. § § 1227(c), 1255(h).

[2] INA § 245(h)(1), 8 U.S.C. § 1255(h)(1) (deems immigrants under this section to have been paroled into the United States, thereby rendering inapplicable INA § 212(a)(6)(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(6)(A)); see also Special Immigrant Juveniles, New Orleans (on reconsideration), INS General Counsel Legal Opinion No. 97-6 (May 30, 1997), reproduced at 74 Interpreter Releases 978 (June 16, 1997) (noting that juvenile noncitizens who are paroled into the United States are not excluded from eligibility for special immigrant status). See generally Gordon, Mailman & Yale-Loehr, Immigration Law and Procedure § 63.07[1] (2007).

[3] INA § 245(h)(2)(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1255(h)(2)(A) (rendering INA § 212(a)(4), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(4), inapplicable). See generally Gordon, supra, § 63.05.

[4] INA § 245(h)(2)(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1255(h)(2)(A) (rendering INA § 212(a)(7)(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(7)(A), inapplicable). See generally Gordon, supra, § 63.08.

[5] INA § 245(h)(2)(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1255(h)(2)(A) (rendering INA § 212(a)(5)(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(5)(A), inapplicable).  See generally Gordon, supra, § 63.06[1].

[6] This list is not exhaustive. INA § § 212(a), 245(h)(2)(B), 8 U.S.C § § 1182(a), 1255(h)(2)(B).

[7] INA § 245(h)(2)(B), 8 U.S.C § 1255(h)(2)(B) (granting the DHS discretion to waive INA § 212(a)(1)(A)(i), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(1)(A)(i)).  See generally Gordon, supra, § 63.02[3].

[8] INA § 245(h)(2)(B), 8 U.S.C § 1255(h)(2)(B) (granting DHS discretion to waive inadmissibility under INA § 212(a)(2)(D), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(2)(D)). See generally Gordon, supra, § 63.03[6].

[9] INA § 245(h)(2)(B), 8 U.S.C § 1255(h)(2)(B) (granting DHS discretion to waive inadmissibility under INA § 212(a)(1)(A)(iii), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(1)(A)(iii)). See generally Gordon, supra, § 63.02[5].

[10] INA § 245(h)(2)(B), 8 U.S.C § 1255(h)(2)(B) (granting DHS discretion to waive inadmissibility under INA § 212(a)(1)(A)(iv), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(1)(A)(iv)).  A waiver obtained for the abuse or addiction inadmissibility ground granted in the context of an adjustment application should protect against the corresponding ground of deportability as well. See generally Gordon, supra, § 63.02[6].

[11] INA § 245(h)(2)(B), 8 U.S.C § 1255(h)(2)(B) (granting DHS discretion to waive inadmissibility under INA § 212(a)(9)(A)(i), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(9)(A)(i)). See generally Gordon, supra, § 63.10[1].

[12] INA § 245(h)(2)(B), 8 U.S.C § 1255(h)(2)(B) (granting DHS discretion to waive inadmissibility under INA § 212(a)(6)(E), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(1)(6)(E)). See generally Gordon, supra, § 63.07[5].

[13] INA § 245(h)(2)(B), 8 U.S.C § 1255(h)(2)(B) (granting DHS discretion to waive inadmissibility under INA § 212(a)(3)(D), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(D)). See generally Gordon, supra, § 63.04[3][d].

[14] INA § 245(h)(2)(B), 8 U.S.C § 1255(h)(2)(B) (granting DHS discretion to waive inadmissibility under INA § 212(a)(6)(C)(i), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(6)(C)(i)). See generally Gordon, supra, § 63.07[3].

[15] INA § 245(h)(2)(B), 8 U.S.C § 1255(h)(2)(B) (no discretion to waive inadmissibility under INA § 212(a)(2)(C), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(2)(C), except for single offense of simple possession of thirty grams or less of marijuana). See generally Gordon, supra, § 71.05[5].

[16] INA § 245(h)(2)(B), 8 U.S.C § 1255(h)(2)(B) (no discretion to waive inadmissibility under INA § 212(a)(2)(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(2)(A)). See generally Gordon, supra, § 71.05.

[17] INA § 245(h)(2)(B), 8 U.S.C § 1255(h)(2)(B) (no discretion to waive inadmissibility under INA § 212(a)(2)(B), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(2)(A) or (B) (multiple convictions with five-year sentence)). See generally Gordon, supra, § 71.05.

[18] INA § 245(h)(2)(B), 8 U.S.C § 1255(h)(2)(B) (no discretion to waive inadmissibility under INA § 212(a)(3), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3), with the exception of INA § 212(a)(3)(D), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(D)(membership in totalitarian party). See generally Gordon, supra, § 71.06.

[19] See § 15.14, infra.

[20] See § 24.2, infra.

[21] See INA § 241(h), 8 U.S.C. § 1237(h), excepting various grounds of deportation; INA § 245(h)(2)(B), 8 U.S.C. § 1255(h)(2)(B) providing for waivers of grounds of exclusion and exemptions for other grounds; and INA § 245(h)(1), (2)(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1255(h)(1), (2)(A), creating eligibility for adjustment by deeming special immigrant juveniles to have been paroled in to the U.S. and also exempting them from the public charge ground of exclusion.