§1251. Deportable aliens
(a) Classes of deportable aliens
Any alien (including an alien crewman) in the United States shall, upon the order of the Attorney General, be deported if the alien is within one or more of the following classes of deportable aliens:
(1) Excludable at time of entry or of adjustment of status or violates status
(A) Excludable aliens
Any alien who at the time of entry or adjustment of status was within one or more of the classes of aliens excludable by the law existing at such time is deportable.
(B) Entered without inspection
Any alien who entered the United States without inspection or at any time or place other than as designated by the Attorney General or is in the United States in violation of this chapter or any other law of the United States is deportable.
(C) Violated nonimmigrant status or condition of entry
(i) Nonimmigrant status violators
Any alien who was admitted as a nonimmigrant and who has failed to maintain the nonimmigrant status in which the alien was admitted or to which it was changed under section 1258 of this title, or to comply with the conditions of any such status, is deportable.
(ii) Violators of conditions of entry
Any alien whom the Secretary of Health and Human Services certifies has failed to comply with terms, conditions, and controls that were imposed under section 1182(g) of this title is deportable.
(D) Termination of conditional permanent residence
(i) In general
Any alien with permanent resident status on a conditional basis under section 1186a of this title (relating to conditional permanent resident status for certain alien spouses and sons and daughters) or under section 1186b of this title (relating to conditional permanent resident status for certain alien entrepreneurs, spouses, and children) who has had such status terminated under such respective section is deportable.
(ii) Exception
Clause (i) shall not apply in the cases described in section 1186a(c)(4) of this title (relating to certain hardship waivers).
(E) Smuggling
(i) In general
Any alien who (prior to the date of entry, at the time of any entry, or within 5 years of the date of any entry) knowingly has encouraged, induced, assisted, abetted, or aided any other alien to enter or to try to enter the United States in violation of law is deportable.
(ii) Special rule in the case of family reunification
Clause (i) shall not apply in the case of alien who is an eligible immigrant (as defined in section 301(b)(1) of the Immigration Act of 1990), was physically present in the United States on May 5, 1988, and is seeking admission as an immediate relative or under section 1153(a)(2) of this title (including under section 112 of the Immigration Act of 1990) or benefits under section 301(a) of the Immigration Act of 1990 if the alien, before May 5, 1988, has encouraged, induced, assisted, abetted, or aided only the alien's spouse, parent, son, or daughter (and no other individual) to enter the United States in violation of law.
(iii) Waiver authorized
The Attorney General may, in his discretion for humanitarian purposes, to assure family unity, or when it is otherwise in the public interest, waive application of clause (i) in the case of any alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence if the alien has encouraged, induced, assisted, abetted, or aided only the alien's spouse, parent, son, or daughter (and no other individual) to enter the United States in violation of law.
(F) Failure to maintain employment
Any alien who obtains the status of an alien lawfully admitted for temporary residence under section 1161 1 of this title who fails to meet the requirement of section 1161(d)(5)(A) 1 of this title by the end of the applicable period is deportable.
(G) Marriage fraud
An alien shall be considered to be deportable as having procured a visa or other documentation by fraud (within the meaning of section 1182(a)(6)(C)(i) of this title) and to be in the United States in violation of this chapter (within the meaning of subparagraph (B)) if-
(i) the alien obtains any entry into the United States with an immigrant visa or other documentation procured on the basis of a marriage entered into less than 2 years prior to such entry of the alien and which, within 2 years subsequent to any entry of the alien in the United States, shall be judicially annulled or terminated, unless the alien establishes to the satisfaction of the Attorney General that such marriage was not contracted for the purpose of evading any provisions of the immigration laws, or
(ii) it appears to the satisfaction of the Attorney General that the alien has failed or refused to fulfill the alien's marital agreement which in the opinion of the Attorney General was made for the purpose of procuring the alien's entry as an immigrant.
(H) Waiver authorized for certain misrepresentations
The provisions of this paragraph relating to the deportation of aliens within the United States on the ground that they were excludable at the time of entry as aliens described in section 1182(a)(6)(C)(i) of this title, whether willful or innocent, may, in the discretion of the Attorney General, be waived for any alien (other than an alien described in paragraph (4)(D)) who-
(i) is the spouse, parent, son, or daughter of a citizen of the United States or of an alien lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence; and
(ii) was in possession of an immigrant visa or equivalent document and was otherwise admissible to the United States at the time of such entry except for those grounds of inadmissibility specified under paragraphs (5)(A) and (7)(A) of section 1182(a) of this title which were a direct result of that fraud or misrepresentation.
A waiver of deportation for fraud or misrepresentation granted under this subparagraph shall also operate to waive deportation based on the grounds of inadmissibility at entry directly resulting from such fraud or misrepresentation.
(2) Criminal offenses
(A) General crimes
(i) Crimes of moral turpitude
Any alien who-
(I) is convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude committed within five years (or 10 years in the case of an alien provided lawful permanent resident status under section 1255(i) 1 of this title) after the date of entry, and
(II) either is sentenced to confinement or is confined therefor in a prison or correctional institution for one year or longer,
is deportable.
(ii) Multiple criminal convictions
Any alien who at any time after entry is convicted of two or more crimes involving moral turpitude, not arising out of a single scheme of criminal misconduct, regardless of whether confined therefor and regardless of whether the convictions were in a single trial, is deportable.
(iii) Aggravated felony
Any alien who is convicted of an aggravated felony at any time after entry is deportable.
(iv) Waiver authorized
Clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) shall not apply in the case of an alien with respect to a criminal conviction if the alien subsequent to the criminal conviction has been granted a full and unconditional pardon by the President of the United States or by the Governor of any of the several States.
(B) Controlled substances
(i) Conviction
Any alien who at any time after entry has been convicted of a violation of (or a conspiracy or attempt to violate) any law or regulation of a State, the United States, or a foreign country relating to a controlled substance (as defined in section 802 of title 21), other than a single offense involving possession for one's own use of 30 grams or less of marijuana, is deportable.
(ii) Drug abusers and addicts
Any alien who is, or at any time after entry has been, a drug abuser or addict is deportable.
(C) Certain firearm offenses
Any alien who at any time after entry is convicted under any law of purchasing, selling, offering for sale, exchanging, using, owning, possessing, or carrying, or of attempting or conspiring to purchase, sell, offer for sale, exchange, use, own, possess, or carry, any weapon, part, or accessory which is a firearm or destructive device (as defined in section 921(a) of title 18) in violation of any law is deportable.
(D) Miscellaneous crimes
Any alien who at any time has been convicted (the judgment on such conviction becoming final) of, or has been so convicted of a conspiracy or attempt to violate-
(i) any offense under chapter 37 (relating to espionage), chapter 105 (relating to sabotage), or chapter 115 (relating to treason and sedition) of title 18 for which a term of imprisonment of five or more years may be imposed;
(ii) any offense under section 871 or 960 of title 18;
(iii) a violation of any provision of the Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. App. 451 et seq.) or the Trading With the Enemy Act (50 U.S.C. App. 1 et seq.); or
(iv) a violation of section 1185 or 1328 of this title,
is deportable.
(3) Failure to register and falsification of documents
(A) Change of address
An alien who has failed to comply with the provisions of section 1305 of this title is deportable, unless the alien establishes to the satisfaction of the Attorney General that such failure was reasonably excusable or was not willful.
(B) Failure to register or falsification of documents
Any alien who at any time has been convicted-
(i) under section 1306(c) of this title or under section 36(c) of the Alien Registration Act, 1940,
(ii) of a violation of, or an attempt or a conspiracy to violate, any provision of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (22 U.S.C. 611 et seq.), or
(iii) of a violation of, or an attempt or a conspiracy to violate, section 1546 of title 18 (relating to fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other entry documents),
is deportable.
(C) Document fraud
Any alien who is the subject of a final order for violation of section 1324c of this title is deportable.
(4) Security and related grounds
(A) In general
Any alien who has engaged, is engaged, or at any time after entry engages in-
(i) any activity to violate any law of the United States relating to espionage or sabotage or to violate or evade any law prohibiting the export from the United States of goods, technology, or sensitive information,
(ii) any other criminal activity which endangers public safety or national security, or
(iii) any activity a purpose of which is the opposition to, or the control or overthrow of, the Government of the United States by force, violence, or other unlawful means,
is deportable.
(B) Terrorist activities
Any alien who has engaged, is engaged, or at any time after entry engages in any terrorist activity (as defined in section 1182(a)(3)(B)(iii) of this title) is deportable.
(C) Foreign policy
(i) In general
An alien whose presence or activities in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is deportable.
(ii) Exceptions
The exceptions described in clauses (ii) and (iii) of section 1182(a)(3)(C) of this title shall apply to deportability under clause (i) in the same manner as they apply to excludability under section 1182(a)(3)(C)(i) of this title.
(D) Assisted in Nazi persecution or engaged in genocide
Any alien described in clause (i) or (ii) of section 1182(a)(3)(E) of this title is deportable.
(5) Public charge
Any alien who, within five years after the date of entry, has become a public charge from causes not affirmatively shown to have arisen since entry is deportable.
(b) Deportation of certain nonimmigrants
An alien, admitted as a nonimmigrant under the provision of either section 1101(a)(15)(A)(i) or 1101(a)(15)(G)(i) of this title, and who fails to maintain a status under either of those provisions, shall not be required to depart from the United States without the approval of the Secretary of State, unless such alien is subject to deportation under paragraph (4) of subsection (a) of this section.
(c) Waiver of grounds for deportation
Paragraphs (1)(A), (1)(B), (1)(C), (1)(D), and (3)(A) of subsection (a) of this section (other than so much of paragraph (1) as relates to a ground of exclusion described in paragraph (2) or (3) of section 1182(a) of this title) shall not apply to a special immigrant described in section 1101(a)(27)(J) of this title based upon circumstances that existed before the date the alien was provided such special immigrant status.
(June 27, 1952, ch. 477, title II, ch. 5, §241,
References in Text
Section 301 of the Immigration Act of 1990, referred to in subsec. (a)(1)(E)(ii), is section 301 of
Section 112 of the Immigration Act of 1990, referred to in subsec. (a)(1)(E)(ii), is section 112 of
Section 1161 of this title, referred to in subsec. (a)(1)(F), was repealed by
Section 1255(i) of this title, referred to in subsec. (a)(2)(A)(i)(I), probably means the subsec. (i) of section 1255 which was added by section 130003(c)(1) of
The Military Selective Service Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(2)(D)(iii), is act June 24, 1948, ch. 625,
The Trading With the Enemy Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(2)(D)(iii), is act Oct. 6, 1917, ch. 106,
The Alien Registration Act, 1940, referred to in subsec. (a)(3)(B)(i), is act June 28, 1940, ch. 439,
The Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, referred to in subsec. (a)(3)(B)(ii), is act June 8, 1938, ch. 327,
Amendments
1994-Subsec. (a)(2)(A)(i)(I).
Subsec. (a)(2)(C).
Subsec. (a)(3)(B)(ii), (iii).
Subsec. (c).
1991-Subsec. (a).
Subsec. (a)(1)(D)(i).
Subsec. (a)(1)(E)(i).
Subsec. (a)(1)(E)(ii), (iii).
Subsec. (a)(1)(G).
Subsec. (a)(1)(H).
Subsec. (a)(2)(D).
Subsec. (a)(3)(C).
Subsec. (a)(4)(A), (B).
Subsec. (a)(4)(C).
Subsec. (c).
Subsec. (d).
Subsec. (h).
1990-Subsec. (a).
Subsec. (b).
Subsec. (c).
Subsec. (e).
Subsecs. (f), (g).
Subsec. (h).
1988-Subsec. (a)(4).
Subsec. (a)(14).
Subsec. (a)(17).
Subsec. (a)(20).
1986-Subsec. (a)(9).
Subsec. (a)(10).
Subsec. (a)(11).
Subsec. (a)(20).
Subsec. (g).
1981-Subsec. (f).
1978-Subsec. (a)(19).
1976-Subsec. (a)(10).
1965-Subsec. (a)(10).
1961-Subsec. (f).
1960-Subsec. (a)(11).
1956-Subsec. (a)(11). Act July 18, 1956, §301(b), included conspiracy to violate any narcotic law, and the illicit possession of narcotics, as additional grounds for deportation.
Subsec. (b). Act July 18, 1956, §301(c), inserted at end "The provisions of this subsection shall not apply in the case of any alien who is charged with being deportable from the United States under subsection (a)(11) of this section."
Effective Date of 1994 Amendment
Amendment by section 203(b) of
Amendment by section 219(g) of
Effective Date of 1991 Amendment
Amendment by sections 302(d)(3), 307(h) of
Section 307(k) of
Effective Date of 1990 Amendment
Amendment by section 153(b)(1) of
Section 153(b)(2) of
Section 505(b) of
Section 508(b) of
Section 544(d), formerly (c), of
Section 602(d) of
Effective Date of 1988 Amendments
Section 7344(b) of
Section 7348(b) of
Amendment by section 2(n)(2) of
Effective Date of 1986 Amendments
Amendment by
Amendment by
Effective Date of 1981 Amendment
Amendment by
Effective Date of 1976 Amendment
Amendment by
Effective Date of 1965 Amendment
For effective date of amendment by
Effective Date of 1956 Amendment
Amendment by act July 18, 1956, effective July 19, 1956, see section 401 of act July 18, 1956.
Savings Provision
Section 602(c) of
Report on Criminal Aliens
Section 510 of
"(a)
"(b)
"(1) the number of aliens in the United States who have been convicted of a criminal offense in the United States, and, of such number, the number of such aliens who are not lawfully admitted to the United States;
"(2) the number of aliens lawfully admitted to the United States who have been convicted of such an offense and, based on such conviction, are subject to deportation from the United States;
"(3) the number of aliens in the United States who are incarcerated in a penal institution in the United States, and, of such number, the number of such aliens who are not lawfully admitted to the United States;
"(4)(A) the number of aliens whose deportation hearings have been conducted pursuant to section 242A(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act [8 U.S.C. 1252a(a)], and (B) the percentage that such number represents of the total number of deportable aliens with respect to whom a hearing under such section could have been conducted since November 18, 1988; and
"(5) the number of aliens in the United States who have reentered the United States after having been convicted of a criminal offense in the United States.
Within each of the numbers of aliens specified under this subsection who have been convicted of criminal offenses, the Attorney General shall distinguish between criminal offenses that are aggravated felonies (as defined in section 101(a)(43) of the Immigration and Nationality Act [8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(43)], as amended by this Act) and other criminal offenses.
"(c)
"(1)(A) aliens who are not lawfully admitted to the United States and who, as of the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 29, 1990], have committed any criminal offense in the United States, and (B) aliens who are lawfully admitted to the United States and who, as of such date, have committed a criminal offense in the United States the commission of which makes the alien subject to deportation; and
"(2)(A) aliens who are not lawfully admitted to the United States and who, in the future, commit a criminal offense in the United States, and (B) aliens who are lawfully admitted to the United States and who, in the future, commit a criminal offense in the United States the commission of which makes the alien subject to deportation.
Such plan shall also include a method for identifying and preventing the unlawful reentry of aliens who have been convicted of criminal offenses in the United States and removed from the United States."
Cross References
Conspiracy, see section 371 et seq. of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure.
Convicted aliens, deportation after imprisonment, see section 1252 of this title.
Definition of the term-
Adjacent islands, see section 1101(b)(5) of this title.
Advocates, see section 1101(a)(2) of this title.
Advocating a doctrine, see section 1101(e)(1) of this title.
Advocating the doctrines of world communism, see section 1101(e)(3) of this title.
Affiliation, see section 1101(e)(2) of this title.
Alien, see section 1101(a)(3) of this title.
Attorney General, see section 1101(a)(5) of this title.
Crewman, see section 1101(a)(10) of this title.
Doctrine, see section 1101(a)(12) of this title.
Entry, see section 1101(a)(13) of this title.
Foreign state, see section 1101(a)(14) of this title.
Immigrant, see section 1101(a)(15) of this title.
Immigrant visa, see section 1101(a)(16) of this title.
Immigration laws, see section 1101(a)(17) of this title.
Nonimmigrant alien, see section 1101(a)(15) of this title.
Organization, see section 1101(a)(28) of this title.
Service, see section 1101(a)(34) of this title.
Totalitarian party and totalitarian dictatorship, see section 1101(a)(37) of this title.
United States, see section 1101(a)(38) of this title.
Unmarried, see section 1101(a)(39) of this title.
World communism, see section 1101(a)(40) of this title.
Diplomatic and semidiplomatic immunities, see section 1102 of this title.
Peace Corps programs, deportation of foreign participants pursuant to provisions of this section, see section 2508 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.
Principals, see section 2 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedures.
Reprieves and pardons, power of President to grant, see Const. Art. II, §2, cl. 1.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 1252, 1252a, 1253, 1254, 1364 of this title; title 22 sections 618, 2508; title 42 section 402.