Criminal Defense of Immigrants

A conviction must have occurred “after the date of admission” in order to trigger deportation.[65]  See § 17.4, supra. The domestic violence conviction statutory ground of deportation also expressly requires a conviction to occur “after admission” to the United States before it will trigger deportation.[66]

[65] The statute defining grounds of deportation, INA § 237(a), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a), provides that noncitizens who have been “admitted to the United States” shall be deportable if they fall within one or more specified classes of deportable noncitizens. 

[66] INA § 237(a)(2)(E)(i), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(E)(i) (domestic violence conviction “at any time after admission”).