The Immigration Law Death Penalty: Aggravated Felonies, Deportation, and Legal Resistance

This book explores how the aggravated felony has become the "immigration law death penalty" and how it has led to the deportation of thousands of immigrants, including documented and undocumented ones. It highlights the severe, expansive, and racially disparate outcomes of this policy and provides innovative legal responses to challenge it.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 10 October 2023
Publisher: New York University Press

In the realm of immigration courts across America, a non-citizen who is convicted of an "aggravated felony" stands virtually no chance of avoiding deportation, even if they seek asylum. The term "aggravated felony" may sound intimidating, but it encompasses a wide range of offenses, extending from relatively minor crimes like check fraud and shoplifting to more serious offenses such as filing a false tax return. The recent expansion of this list has led to an astronomical increase in the rates of deportation. This book chronicles the rise of the use of the aggravated felony, also known as the "immigration law death penalty," as a means of criminalizing and subsequently deporting immigrants. Convicted immigrants of aggravated felonies face mandatory detention and an almost certain outcome of deportation, with very limited avenues for legal relief from removal. Moreover, these individuals can be held in detention for extended periods, without the guarantee of legal representation, and even be deported without the opportunity to present their case in court.

Sarah Tosh offers a comprehensive and insightful examination of how aggravated felonies have been employed to deport thousands of documented and undocumented immigrants. Through her research, she sheds light on the severe, expansive, and racially disparate consequences of these convictions, as well as the innovative legal responses that have emerged to challenge them. Tosh's book is a vital resource for anyone who is committed to safeguarding the rights of immigrants nationwide. It provides a deep understanding of the mechanisms by which aggravated felonies have been used to target immigrants and the resilience and solidarity of the communities that have resisted these practices. By reading this book, readers will gain a better grasp of the complexities and challenges of the immigration system and be inspired to take action in support of immigrant justice and human rights.

Weight: 396g
Dimension: 153 x 229 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781479816286