Criminal Defense of Immigrants

The basic elements of the aggravated felony deportation ground are:

(1)     alienage, see § 15.4, infra;

(2)     conviction, see Chapter 7, infra;

(3)     for a crime, see § 7.24, infra;

(4)     committed after admission, see § § 17.5-17.8, infra;

(5)     of attempt, conspiracy, or a substantive offense, see § § 19.13-19.20, infra;

(6)     that falls within an aggravated felony category, see § § 19.7-19.9, infra;

(7)     in violation of the law of a listed jurisdiction.  See § 19.11 infra.

Unless each of these elements exists, the noncitizen is not deportable as an aggravated felon.  Whether a particular offense meets the federal “aggravated felony” definition is discussed in § § 19.23-19.95, infra.