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Immigration Practice Resources

Search immigration practice advisories, sample filings, manuals, brief banks, and government guidance from trusted practitioner sources.

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Immigrant Legal Resource Center Practice advisory Dec 12, 2023

"Particularly Serious Crime" Bars to Asylum and Withholding

This advisory analyzes and explains the particularly serious crime bar to asylum and withholding of removal. It describes the factors to consider in determining whether a crime is a "particularly serious crime" and how to challenge a particularly serious crime determination.

Asylum Withholding / CAT Removal defense Cross-forum Direct PDF
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American Immigration Council Practice advisory Nov 28, 2023

Common Tools of Statutory Construction for Criminal Removal Grounds

This practice advisory describes some of the common tools of statutory construction to assist practitioners in advocating for narrow definitions of generic criminal removal grounds before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and the U.S. courts of appeals. To determine whether a criminal conviction renders a noncitizen removable under federal immigration law, federal courts and the BIA generally employ the categorical approach. Under this approach, adjudicators consider whether the elements of

Removal defense Crimes and categorical approach BIA appeals BIA Direct PDF
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Immigrant Legal Resource Center Practice advisory Oct 5, 2023

No Crime to Be Poor: Defending Welfare Fraud Allegations in Criminal, Administrative, and Immigration Proceedings

Allegations of “welfare fraud” and “perjury” impact low-income immigrants disproportionately and often have devastating immigration consequences if a conviction results. This practice advisory explains how such allegations and criminal charges impact noncitizens, and are actually more often than not based on benefit caseworker errors, misunderstandings, and miscommunications, including language and literacy barriers, confusing and conflicting benefits program rules, and stem from historically en

Crimes and categorical approach Cross-forum Direct PDF
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National Immigration Project Practice advisory Aug 23, 2023

Practice Alert: Overview of Pugin v. Garland

This practice alert analyzes the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Pugin v. Garland , 143 S. Ct. 1833 (2023). The June 22 opinion addressed the generic definition of the obstruction of justice aggravated felony ground at 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(S). The Court held that a conviction may be an offense “relating to obstruction of justice,” even if it does not require that an investigation or proceeding be pending or reasonably foreseeable. The practice alert reviews the generic definition of obstruc

Crimes and categorical approach Cross-forum Direct PDF
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American Immigration Council Practice advisory Aug 22, 2023

Practice Alert: Overview of the Supreme Court’s Decision in Pugin v. Garland

On June 22, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued Pugin v. Garland , 143 S. Ct. 1833 (2023), an immigration decision addressing the generic definition of the obstruction of justice aggravated felony ground at 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(S). The Court held that a conviction may be an offense “relating to obstruction of justice,” even if it does not require that an investigation or proceeding be pending or reasonably foreseeable. In doing so, Pugin reversed favorable case law in the Ninth Circuit, Valenz

Crimes and categorical approach Court of appeals Direct PDF
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Immigrant Legal Resource Center Practice advisory Jul 17, 2023

Obstruction of Justice: Pugin and California Offenses

Conviction of “obstruction of justice” is an aggravated felony if a sentence of a year or more is imposed. In Pugin v. Garland, No. 22-23 (June 22, 2023) , the Supreme Court overturned the Ninth Circuit’s definition of obstruction, but failed to provide a clear definition of its own. Now some California offenses are likely aggravated felonies if there is a sentence of year or more, including Penal Code §§ 32, 69, 136.1, 148, Vehicle Code § 10851, and others.

Crimes and categorical approach Court of appeals Direct PDF
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Immigrant Legal Resource Center Practice advisory Jun 30, 2023

State of U Visa and T Visa Laws

U nonimmigrant status and T nonimmigrant status, often called “U visas” and “T visas,” are humanitarian forms of immigration relief for certain survivors of crime. Both forms of relief have a certification process by which applicants request certification from law enforcement or other government agencies to document their cooperation. In recent years, many states have enacted U and T visa certification legislation in order to increase access to certifications for those who are eligible. This pra

Crimes and categorical approach Consular practice VAWA / U / T Cross-forum Direct PDF
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Immigrant Legal Resource Center Practice advisory Jun 27, 2023

Clean Slate Relief: The Impact on Criminal Record Sharing and Immigration

This memorandum seeks to demystify the contours of criminal record sharing across state boundaries, outlining some of the main structures and laws that govern criminal record sharing, particularly focusing on sharing with federal immigration agencies. We examine how agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) use state criminal record sharing in their enforcement efforts to target noncitizens, and how United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses state records to de

Crimes and categorical approach Naturalization USCIS Direct PDF
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Immigrant Legal Resource Center Practice advisory Apr 7, 2023

The Impact of Crimes on TPS Eligibility

This practice advisory provides an overview of the different ways crimes can impact eligibility for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and a framework for analyzing whether an applicant is subject to these bars and potential options to overcome them.

Crimes and categorical approach Special immigrant Cross-forum Direct PDF
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Immigrant Legal Resource Center Practice advisory Mar 20, 2023

How to Analyze a Crim-Imm Case: Four Questions to Identify Case Goals

Immigration and crimes, or “crim-imm,” can be challenging. Both immigration and criminal law are difficult on their own. To do crim-imm work, advocates who are expert in one area must learn at least something about law and procedure in the other. It can be hard to know where to start the analysis.

Crimes and categorical approach Evidence and procedure Cross-forum Direct PDF
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National Immigration Project Practice advisory Dec 21, 2022

Crim-Imm Case Law Updates

This resource is designed to help immigration practitioners stay up to date on case law developments over the past year in the area of immigration law and crimes. It initially lists notable case law developments before the BIA and the United States Courts of Appeals. This is followed by case summaries of all published Board of Immigration Appeals decisions that address this area of law in 2022 and a case summary list of United States Courts of Appeals published decisions. The latter list focuses

Crimes and categorical approach BIA appeals BIA Direct PDF
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Immigrant Legal Resource Center Practice advisory Nov 2, 2022

New Options for Survivors of Trafficking and Domestic Violence

Survivors of human trafficking and of domestic or sexual violence often are charged and convicted of offenses that arose as a direct result of their exploitation. For noncitizens, the criminal record can cause deportation or destroy their eligibility for humanitarian visas. In the last five years, California has enacted multiple laws to avoid this injustice in criminal court, including a defense to a criminal charge and a vehicle to vacate a past conviction for survivors who were coerced to comm

Removal defense Crimes and categorical approach Consular practice Cross-forum Direct PDF
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