Expedited Removal

Immigration inspectors have the authority to issue expedited removal orders for foreign nationals attempting to enter the US who they deem inadmissible. Findings of inadmissibility are usually issued on the grounds of misrepresentation/fraud or a lack of proper documentation. An expedited removal order on the grounds of lack of proper documentation can carry a five-year bar to reentry, while misrepresentation or fraud carries a lifetime ban from entering the US.

Removal Process

Before an alien may be removed from the US, the examining immigration officer must create a record of the facts of the case and statements made by the alien. The officer should question the alien about his/her identity, alienage, and charges of inadmissibility, and record the alien’s responses. These statements compose the Record of Sworn Statement, which can contain critical evidence when challenging an expedited removal order. The immigration officer is also required to ask if the alien fears returning to his or her home country. If an alien expresses an intent to apply for asylum or a fear of returning to his or her home country, then the alien is entitled to an interview with an asylum officer who will determine if the fear is credible.

In order to avoid expedited removal proceedings and the associated five-year bar to reentry, an alien may be allowed to withdraw his or her application for admission and depart immediately from the US. This gives an alien who is mistakenly trying to enter with inappropriate documentation the opportunity to return to his or her home country, obtain the correct documentation, and re-apply for entry.

Legal permanent residents, persons lawfully admitted, minors, and persons physically present in the US continuously for the 2-year period immediately prior to the finding of inadmissibility are exempt from expedited removal.

Challenging the Grounds of an Expedited Removal Order

Immigration and border inspectors do not conduct complete legal analyses of foreign nationals’ backgrounds before making their decisions, may be inexperienced, and often make mistakes, filing improper fraud or inadmissibility charges. After reviewing an individual’s case and analyzing the Record it is usually possible to determine if the expedited removal order was warranted and whether it should be challenged.

In addition to lack of proper documentation and misrepresentation, prior criminal convictions are another common ground of inadmissibility. This fact may be discovered at the time of admission to the US when fingerprints are taken. The inadmissibility statutes contain a "petty offense exception" that waives a prior criminal conviction, provided there is only one conviction, the maximum penalty is less than one year, and the individual was sentenced to a period of less than six months. It is not uncommon for immigration inspectors to make an improper finding of inadmissibility on the grounds of a prior criminal conviction, because they ignore or fail to consider the "petty offense exception."

If an expedited removal order was based upon faulty grounds, it should be possible to challenge the decision. Normally, this challenge should be filed within 30 days of the decision.

Waivers

If the grounds of inadmissibility are, in fact, justified, entry to the US may still be obtained by applying for a waiver of inadmissibility. The standards for granting a nonimmigrant waiver of inadmissibility are relatively liberal. On the other hand, an immigrant waiver of inadmissibility must establish extreme hardship, which can be a difficult standard to satisfy.

How White & Associates Can Help?

The experienced professionals at White & Associates can provide legal assistance with obtaining government records relevant to your case, assessing your case to determine if the grounds of inadmissibility are legitimate, and preparing appeals or waivers of inadmissibility. If you are in need of legal support, please feel free to contact us.