Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Supreme Court Argument Preview: Removal of an immigrant for “sexual abuse of a minor”
Over the last few years, the Supreme Court has decided a number of criminal-removal cases. Next week (February 27), the justices will hear oral argument in another one, Esquivel-Quintana v. Sessions, which stems from the government’s effort to remove a lawful permanent resident for a “sex crime.” Here is my argument preview. I conclude the preview as follows:
"In setting a series of records for numbers of removals during President Barack Obama’s first term, the government focused its removal effects on noncitizens convicted of crimes. President Donald Trump has issued an executive order that, if implemented, would expand crime-based removals. This case illustrates some of the complexities associated with reliance on state criminal convictions in federal removals, which can lead to a lack of uniformity in the application of the U.S. immigration laws. The disparities between the states in areas of criminal law frequently relied on for removal, such as state marijuana laws, are growing, and are likely to pose interpretive challenges in the future for the federal courts in criminal-removal cases. It remains to be seen whether the justices will focus on these issues during the oral argument next week."
KJ
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2017/02/supreme-court-argument-preview-removal-of-an-immigrant-for-sexual-abuse-of-a-minor.html
