Criminal Defense of Immigrants

Chapter

§21.1 I. Summary for Criminal Defense Attorneys
§21.2 II. Immigration Considerations
§21.3 A. Inadmissibility
§21.4 1. Controlled Substances Conviction
§21.5 2. Admission of a Controlled Substances Offense
§21.6 3. "Reason to Believe" Drug Trafficker
§21.7 4. Family Member of Noncitizen Drug Trafficker
§21.8 5. Crime of Moral Turpitude Conviction
§21.9 6. Admission of a Crime of Moral Turpitude
§21.10 7. Drug Abuse or Addiction
§21.11 B. Deportability
§21.12 1. Aggravated Felony Drug Trafficker
§21.13 2. Controlled Substances Conviction
§21.14 3. Crimes of Moral Turpitude
§21.15 4. Drug Abuse or Addiction
§21.16 C. Eligibility for Relief
§21.17 III. Simple Possession and Lesser Offenses
§21.18 A. First Possession Offense
§21.19 B. Multiple Simultaneous Offenses
§21.20 C. Subsequent Possession Offense
§21.21 D. Under the Influence
§21.22 E. Possession of Paraphernalia
§21.23 F. Transportation
§21.24 IV. Drug Trafficking
§21.25 A. Sale
§21.26 B. Distribution
§21.27 C. Manufacture or Cultivation
§21.28 D. Import or Export
§21.29 E. Other Controlled Substances Offenses
§21.30 V. Safe Havens
§21.31 A. General Safe Havens
§21.32 B. Unlisted Offenses
§21.33 C. Offense is Not "Relating to" a Controlled Substance
§21.34 D. Drug is Not a Federally Listed Controlled Substance
§21.35 E. Personal Possession of 30 Grams or Less of Marijuana
§21.36 F. Effective Rehabilitative Relief
§21.37 G. Other Safe Havens
§21.38 VI. Sentencing Considerations
§21.39 A. Felony/Misdemeanor Definitions
§21.40 B. Illegal Re-Entry Sentencing

§ 21.24 (A)

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(A) Deportability. A drug trafficking conviction triggers deportation as a controlled substances offense, aggravated felony, and crime of moral turpitude. Because the conviction is for an aggravated felony, there is little chance of obtaining relief in immigration court.[211] An expungement will not work to avoid deportation for a drug trafficking conviction.[212]

[211] See § 21.16, supra.

[212] See § 21.36, infra.