immigration law for criminal and civil practice susan i. nelson williamson county bar association...
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IMMIGRATION LAWfor Criminal and Civil Practice
Susan I. NelsonWilliamson County Bar Association
September 26, 2014
DROP THE I-WORD
The “I” word presumes someone is guilty of illegal entry into the U.S.
DROP THE I-WORD
Use of the I-word affects attitudes toward immigrants and non-immigrants alike, including people of color.
The racially discriminatory message is not explicit, but hidden or “coded.”
The term has deliberately been made popular in the media by anti-immigrant factions.
DROP THE I-WORD
ALTERNATIVES: DREAMer (young people raised and
educated in the U.S.) IMMIGRANT UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT UNAUTHORIZED IMMIGRANT
IMMIGRATION CLASSIFICATIONS
U.S. Citizen Immigrant Nonimmigrant Undocumented
U.S. Citizens
Born in the U.S.A. Naturalized Derived from U.S.C. parent
U.S. Citizens
Legal Permanent Resident
“Green card” holder May live, work and travel in the U.S. May not vote Can be deported for
criminal or other grounds
Nonimmigrant
Visitor Student Temporary workers
Undocumented
Visa overstay Entered without inspection
– avoided border check points No lawful status
– Entered through border check point but did not have visa or permission to enter
PATHS TO LPR STATUS
Family Based Visas Employer Based Visas Victim Visas Asylum
VICTIM VISAS
Crime victims Trafficking victims Law enforcement agency must sign
document affirming cooperation for Immigration
Provides a path to LPR
VAWA: Family violence victims who are married to/children of USC/LPR
CRIMMIGRATION LAW
Padilla v. Kentucky, 559 U.S. 356 (2010)
The Padilla Rule
The Sixth Amendment requires that “counsel must inform her client whether his plea carries a risk of deportation.” Id. at 374.
Criminal counsel has the duty to investigate and advise about immigration consequences
Padilla’s Classifications
Is the relevant immigration statute “succinct, clear and explicit”? Y = counsel must advise the non-citizen
defendant of the specific immigration consequences
N = counsel has duty to advise that the plea might carry adverse immigration consequences
Padilla’s Classifications
Relevant immigration statute “succinct, clear and explicit:”
Aggravated robbery = CIMT, Ag.F if sentence of >1 year
DWI ≠ CIMT, Ag. F (But watch for clients with multiple convictions where aggregated sentences >5 years)
Padilla Not Retroactive
Does not apply retroactively to cases already final prior to the Padilla case. Chaidez v. United States, 133 S.Ct. 1103, 1113 (2013)
Conviction
A formal judgment of guilt entered by the court OR
If adjudication of guilt withheld where:– A judge or jury has found the noncitizen guilty or
the noncitizen has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contedere or has admitted sufficient facts to warrant a finding of guilt, and
– The judge has ordered some form of punishment, penalty, or restraint on the noncitizens liberty to be imposed.
Conviction
Texas Deferred adjudication = conviction A court-ordered drug treatment or domestic
violence counselling alternative = conviction IF guilty plea is taken
Sentence includes any suspended sentence Juvenile adjudication ≠ conviction IF
analogous to a federal juvenile delinquency adjudication
Undocumented Clients
Conviction will most likely result in removal proceedings– EXC: DACA eligible
Will the plea– disqualify client from relief from removal? – result in your client being detained?
Lawfully Present
Will the plea:– result in client being placed in deportation
proceedings?– disqualify client from relief from deportation? – result in your client being detained?
Will the client be able to leave and return to the U.S.?
Will the client be able to Naturalize?
Aggravated Felony
Defined under 8 USC §1101(a)(43) Murder, rape, sexual assault of a minor, drug
trafficking, firearm trafficking … Crime of violence, theft or burglary where
sentence is “at least 1 year” Fraud or tax evasion where loss to victim
>$10,000 Can be a misdemeanor
Controlled Substances
Violation of any law or regulation of a state, the US or a foreign country related to a controlled substance as defined in §102 of the Controlled Substance Act
EXC: single offense of simple possession of 30g or less of marijuana
May also be an Aggravated Felony, CIMT
Crimes of Moral Turpitude
Not defined by statute Crimes that are inherently evil or wrong Eg., theft, fraud, serious violence, most sex
offenses Petty Offense Exception: 1 CIMT, offense not
punishable by >1 year, not sentenced to >6 months
Crimes of Domestic Violence
Texas Penal Code §22.01(a)(1) is not a crime of violence because it can be committed recklessly. United States v. Villegas-Hernandez, 468 F.3d 874, 882 (5th Cir. 2006)
Record of conviction important May be COV/CIMT if conduct intentional,
knowing
Firearms
Convicted at any time after admission under any law of purchasing, selling, offering for sale, exchanging, using, owning or possession of a weapon, firearm or destructive device
Ground of deportability NOT a ground of inadmissibility BUT may
result in discretionary denial
Firearms
U.S. v. Portillo-Munoz, 643 F.3d 437 (5th Cir. 2011)
Federal statute prohibits aliens from possessing firearms. 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(5)
Protections contained in Second Amendment do not extend to aliens illegally present in the United States. Id. at 442.
ICE Holds
Undocumented Lawfully present charged with deportable
offense Hold can be dropped prior to release in some
circumstances ICE issues detainer and takes custody within
48 hours after release from local authorities
ICE Custody
NO REMOVAL USC LPR w/o conviction Exercise of
prosecutorial discretion
Eg., DACA
REMOVAL Release on OR Set bond and transfer to
detention Refuse to set bond and
transfer to detention
ICE Detention/Bond
Transferred to ICE detention facility Bond paid at ICE District Office (eg., San
Antonio) If no bond or too high, can ask Immigration
Court to lower bond Mandatory detention = must stay in custody
FAMILY LAW ISSUES
Termination of Parental Rights
In re E.N.C., 384 S.W.3d 796 (Tex. 2012) Father convicted in another state of unlawful
conduct with a minor and given probation years before the children were born was later deported to Mexico.
No evidence concerning the offense nor the circumstances of deportation offered.
Termination of Parental Rights
Trial court terminated father’s rights based on criminal record and deportation. Id. at 801.
A divided Texarkana Court of Appeals, affirmed finding that while the father’s deportation alone could not support the trial court’s findings, his conduct that led to deportation did support the judgment. Id. at 801-802.
Termination of Parental Rights
Supreme Court reversed, holding that the evidence was legally insufficient to support termination.
“[D]eportation, like incarceration, is a factor that may be considered (albeit an insufficient one in and of itself to establish endangerment), its relevance to endangerment depends on the circumstances.” Id. at 805.
Termination of Parental Rights
“[N]o reasonable fact-finder could have formed a firm belief or conviction that the termination of Francisco’s parental rights was in the children’s best interest.” Id. at 809.
The Department never assessed father’s situation in Mexico, and there was a lack of evidence establishing the instability of the father’s home in Mexico. Id. at 808.
Custody
Custody of Children in Mixed Status Families: Preventing the Misunderstanding and Misuse of Immigration Status in State Court Custody Proceedings, 47 Family Law Quarterly 191 (Summer 2013)
National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project (NIWAP) http://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/
Custody
“[T]he Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment protects the fundamental right of parents to make decisions concerning the care, custody, and control of their children.” In re E.N.C. at 806.
“[O]verriding presumption that the … best interests of the child are served by reuniting the child with his or her parent.” In re Angelica L., 767 N.W.2d 74, 94 (Neb. 2009)
Family Abuse
Immigration status exacerbates the level of violence in abusive relationships when batterers use the threat of deportation and control of information about legal status to lock their spouses and children in violent relationships.
Family Abuse
Victims afraid to report abuse, leave, unable to support self and children.
May be eligible for VAWA, U or T visas. Immigrant detainees may have children
placed with the abuser while in detention.
Marriage
USCs and LPRs can petition for their spouses to receive LPR status.
The marriage must be valid in the jurisdiction where it was contracted.
Step-children where marriage occurred prior to 18th birthday
Some stand to lose immigration benefits if they marry (eg., son or daughter of LPR)
Divorce
No longer eligible for petitions based on marriage relationship– EXC: VAWA
Affidavit of Support obligations continue after divorce
Adoption
Non-citizen children adopted prior to 16th birthday qualify as child under immigration law (under 18 if younger siblings adopted)
Must be in physical and legal custody of adoptive parents for 2 years prior to filing.– EXC: VAWA (abused children)
CIVIL LAW ISSUES
Immigration Status
TXI Transp. Co. v. Hughes, 306 S.W.3d 230, 245 (Tex. 2010)
Evidence impugning character based on immigration status = Harmful error
Evidence admitted of driver/employee’s:– Prior deportation– Fake social security number– Lied to obtain a commercial DL
Immigration Status
Plaintiff argued that the evidence of driver/employee’s immigration status was relevant to issues of negligent hiring, negligent entrustment and for impeachment evidence.
Employer complained that the evidence was not relevant to any issue in the case BUT was highly prejudicial.
Immigration Status
Court concluded that neither immigration status nor use of a fake SS# to obtain commercial DL caused the collision.
Not admissible as impeachment evidence. “[I]ts prejudice far outweighed any probative
value, but also because it fostered the impression that [the employer] should be held liable because it hired an illegal immigrant.” Id.
Immigration Status
Justice Medina: “Such appeals to racial and ethnic prejudices, whether ‘explicit and brazen’ or ‘veiled and subtle,’ cannot be tolerated because they undermine the very basis of our judicial process.” Id.
Immigration Status
Tyson Foods v. Guzman, 116 S.W.3d 233, 247 (Tex. App.--Tyler 2003)
Texas law does not require citizenship or the possession of immigration work authorization permits as a prerequisite to recovering damages for lost earning capacity.
Immigration Status
Republic Waste Services, Ltd. V. Martinez, 335 S.W.3d 401 (Tex. App.--Houston [1st Dist.] 2011)
Trial court excluded evidence of decedent’s lack of immigration status
Employer argued that the decedent may have been deported and that it was relevant to his future earnings.
Houston court affirmed trial court ruling.
Unlicensed Drivers
Williams v. Steves Industries, Inc., 699 S.W.2d 570 (Tex. 1985)
The fact that a driver is unlicensed does not determine that the driver is in fact incompetent.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
DACA
On June 15, 2012, Secretary of DHS, Janet Napolitano, issued a memo authorizing DACA
Temporary relief from deportation and employment authorization for young people who entered the U.S. as children
NOT the DREAM Act
Who Qualifies for DACA?
AGE REQUIREMENTSBorn after June 15, 1981
ANDArrived in the U.S. before age 16
ANDMust be at least 15 to apply (unless in removal proceedings)
Who Qualifies for DACA?
PRESENCE/RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTSContinuously resided in the U.S. from June 15, 2007 to the present (brief, casual or innocent absences do not disrupt)
ANDPhysically present in the U.S. on June 15, 2012
ANDEntered without inspection before 6/15/2012
OR immigration status expired before 6/15/ 2012
Who Qualifies for DACA?
EDUCATIONGraduated from High School
ORObtained a GED
ORCurrently in school
ORHonorably discharged from U.S. military*
DACA Disqualifiers
Serious criminal record DWI Gang ties Removal or deportation that interrupted
continuous presence
Unaccompanied Alien Children
UACs 2008-2014
Source: FY2008-FY2013: U.S.D.H.S., United States Border Patrol, Juvenile and Adult Apprehensions – FY 2013; For FY2014, unpublished data provided by CBP to CRS.*FY2014 figures from 10/1/2013-5/31/2014 (⅔ of fiscal year)
UACs 2014
TVPRA
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (2008)
UAC from noncontiguous states (not Mexico) – placed in removal proceedings– Transferred to facilities run by the Office of
Refugee Resettlement (ORR) where they meet with social workers and attorneys
– HHS appoints independent child advocates for particularly vulnerable UAC
TVPRA for Mexican UAC
Presumption of immediate return to home country
No hearing before an immigration judge, unless: – the child is identified as a victim of severe
trafficking, – demonstrates a credible fear of persecution, or – is unable to make independent decisions about
their options.
TVPRA for Mexican UAC
“No meaningful screening is being conducted.” [Appleseed Foundation 2011 report]
TVPRA screening conducted by CBP officers trained to repel external threats and without child welfare, trauma, abuse and sexual assault expertise.
Pressure on UACs to withdraw their applications for admission to the US
UAC relief available
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status– Declared dependent by state court– Unable to reunite with 1 or more parents on
account of abuse, abandonment or neglect– Not in “best interest of the child” to return to
country
UAC relief available
Asylum– Unable or unwilling to return to home country due
to well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group
Trafficking Visa Crime Victim Visa
Need for Legal Representation
Need for Legal Representation
Volunteer Opportunities
texasbar.com/immigration Texasbar.com/volunteer
QUESTIONS?
www.nlftx.com
http://www.facebook.com/TexImmLaw
Twitter: @TexImmLaw