Quick Reference Chart for Determining Immigration Consequences ...

APPENDIX A: QUICK REFERENCE CHART FOR DETERMINING IMMIGRATION CONSEQUENCES OF COMMON NEW YORK OFFENSES
Offense
NYPL
Section
Aggravated
Felony (AF)?
Crime Involving
Moral Turpitude
(CIMT)?
Other Grounds?:
Controlled Substance (CSO)
Crime Against Child (CAC)
Dom. Violence (CODV) etc.
Firearm Offense (FO)
Prostitution
Commercialized Vice
If the victim was a current or
former spouse or similarly
situated individual, probably is
CODV. If the record of
conviction shows that the
victim was a child, might also
be CAC, particularly if
subsection (2).
Comments, Strategies & Tips
These are by no means an exhaustive list of strategies and tips
advocates may pursue. For additional defense lawyer strategies,
see Chapter 5. For additional immigration lawyer strategies, see
Appendix K.
Tip for defense lawyers:
1. Regardless of victim’s age, to avoid “rape” AF risk,
avoid this offense altogether and consider alternative
offenses such as Forcible Touching (see below, PL
130.52). If that’s not possible, to avoid “crime of violence”
AF risk, avoid sentence of one year or more (get 364
days or less) if possible.
2. If victim is minor, to decrease “sexual abuse of a
minor” AF risk, if at all possible avoid subsection (2) and
consider alternative offenses that do not have sexual
conduct as an element of the crime, such as
Endangering the Welfare of a Child (see below, PL
260.10) or Unlawful Imprisonment, 2 nd or 1 st (see below,
PL 135.05 & 135.10). If that’s not possible, consider
alternative offense that does not have the minor age of
the victim as an element of the crime or as a definition of
“without consent”), such as Forcible Touching (see
below, PL 130.52). In any event, try to keep out of the
record of conviction any admission or other evidence that
the victim was a minor.
3. To minimize CODV or CAC risks, keep age/
relationship of victim out of record of conviction.
Criminal Sexual
Act, 3rd degree
Class E felony
130.40 Subsection (2)
probably is
“sexual abuse
of a minor” AF,
particularly if
the record of
conviction
shows that the
victim is under
the age of 16.
Subsections (1)
and (3) might
be “rape” AF.
Any subsection
might also be
“crime of
violence” AF if
term of
imprisonment
imposed is one
year or more.
Yes.
NYSDA IMMIGRANT DEFENSE PROJECT, December 2006 A-19