Criminal Defense of Immigrants

 

The statute defining this ground of inadmissibility specifically provides that if the conviction is for a “purely political offense,” the crime of moral turpitude does not trigger inadmissibility.[211]  The BIA has held that an offense must be determined to have been completely or totally political in view of the totality of the circumstances.[212]  Courts may be reluctant to apply the political offense exception to foreign convictions for fear of international repercussions, and will defer to the Attorney General in determining whether an offense falls within this exception.[213]  Note that this exception does not apply to deportability on account of one or more convictions of a crime of moral turpitude, only to inadmissibility.

 

                The BIA has recently considered the definition of “purely political offense,” noting three possible definitions:

 

                One sort, which the respondent essentially contends is applicable to his conviction, involves baseless, trumped-up, or fabricated charges. There is no dispute among the parties that a fabricated or trumped-up charge may be a “purely political offense,” as indeed we held in Matter of B-, supra. A second type of “political” offense, not involved here, is one that consists of an act or acts directed against the State, such as treason, sedition, or espionage, that contains none of the elements of ordinary crimes. The third kind of “political” crime, again not at issue here and denominated under extradition law as a “relative” political offense, is one in which a common offense such as murder, assault, or theft is so connected with a political act that the offense is regarded as “political.” See 31A Am. Jur. 2d Extradition § 44 (2002); see also Quinn v. Robinson, 783 F.2d 776, 793-94 (9th Cir. 1986).[214]

 

However, for purposes of this decision, the BIA looked solely to the first definition given, and did not determine whether the other two definitions have any part in defining a “purely political offense” for purposes of INA § 212(a)(2)(A)(I)(i).

 

Prior decisions have held that in order for an offense to constitute a “purely political offense,” it must have been committed in concert with other persons (or a common movement) in an effort to accomplish a political purpose.[215]  The benefits of this exception are not available to one who commits the act individually, independently, or without being connected with anyone else.[216]

 

Black’s Law Dictionary, p. 1376, citing 2 Stephen’s Criminal Law 70, states that, “as a designation of a class of crimes usually excepted from extradition treaties,” the term political offenses “denotes crimes which are incidental to and form a part of political disturbances; but it might also be understood to include offenses consisting in an attack upon the political order of things established in the country where committed, and even to include offenses committed to obtain any political object.”[217]

 

[T]his country  . . . recognize[s] that even traditional crimes may involve no moral turpitude, within the purview of American immigration laws, when their commission was “incidental to the . . . flight from great persecution or oppression by nations . . . against large racial, religious or political minorities.”[218]

 

The Foreign Affairs Manual provides:

 

Where there is any indication that the offense for which the alien was convicted was of a political nature, or prosecution therefor was politically motivated, the consular officer shall request CA/VO/L/A to make a determination.  The imposition of a cruel or unusual punishment, or of a punishment which is clearly disproportionate to the offense, as well as cases falling within the provisions of 22 C.F.R. 40.21(a)(6), raise the question as to whether the conviction was for a purely political reason.  In the following cases the aliens concerned were considered to have been convicted of “purely political offenses” within the meaning of INA 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) and (2)(B):

 

(1)   An alien who was convicted by a South African court of robbery and assault because the alien helped overpower the guards and forcefully took possession of a government car in attempting to escape from a civilian internment camp.

(2)   An alien convicted by a Netherlands court of having executed false ration coupons to benefit the underground during World War II.

(3)   An alien who was a member of the German SS and was sentenced by a Soviet court to nine years for theft of some paper bags.

(4)   An alien convicted by a Danish court of forging a receipt for a Danish passport and forging an official request for air transportation solely for the purpose of escaping from an Iron Curtain country.

(5)   The Attorney General ruled in 1938 that a violation of Article 156 of the German Criminal Code regarding false statements under oath, which would normally be held to involve moral turpitude, did not involve moral turpitude because in effect the false statement was made by a Jew as part of resistance against the economic measures taken against the Jews in Germany.  (39 Op. A.G. 215).[219]

 

The FAM went on to state: “The mere fact that an alien is or was a member of a racial, religious, or political minority shall not be considered as sufficient in itself to warrant a conclusion that the crime for which the alien was convicted was purely a political offense.”[220]

 

                The political offense exception also applies to the aggravated felony crime of violence definition.[221]

 

[211] INA § § 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(2)(A)(i)(I); Matter of B, 1 I. & N. Dec. 47 (AG 1941).

[212] Matter of O’Cealleagh, 23 I. & N. Dec. 976 (BIA 2006).

[213] Efe v. Ashcroft, 293 F.3d 899, 905 n.5 (5th Cir. June 20, 2002) (“A decision by the Attorney General to deem certain violent offenses committed in another country as political in nature, and to allow the perpetrators to remain in the United States, may affect our relations with that country or its neighbors. The judiciary is not well positioned to shoulder primary responsibility for assessing the likelihood and importance of such diplomatic repercussions.  INS v. Aguirre-Aguirre, 526 U.S. 415, 425 (1999).”).

[214] Matter of O’Cealleagh, 23 I. & N. Dec. 976, 980 (BIA 2006).

[215] A common example would be a conviction arising out of participation in a political protest, e.g., a conviction of disorderly conduct or resisting arrest.

[216] Matter of K, 4 I. & N. Dec. 108 (BIA 1950).

[217] Matter of K, 4 I. & N. Dec. 108, 110-111 (BIA 1950).

[218] Sovich v. Esperdy, 319 F.2d 21, 28 (2d Cir. 1963), quoting 39 Op.Atty.Gen. 215-227.

[219] 9 U.S. Dep’t of State, Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) § 40.21(a) N10(a).

[220] 9 U.S. Dep’t of State, Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) § 40.21(a) N10(b).

[221] INA § 101(a)(43)(F), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(F).  See § 19.50, supra.