Can an attorney who provides general immigration advice to an undocumented immigrant be charged with a criminal offence under Section IV of the Immigration Code?

MultiRegion, United States of America

The following excerpt is from United States v. Sineneng-Smith, 910 F.3d 461 (9th Cir. 2018):

remove her until removal proceedings are completed. See Zadvydas v. Davis , 533 U.S. 678, 693, 121 S.Ct. 2491, 150 L.Ed.2d 653 (2001). Under the statutes clear scope, the attorneys accurate advice could subject her to a felony charge. The governments arguments to the contrary are unavailing. First, undoubtedly, the attorney would know that telling an immigrant she would have greater rights if she remained here or that she may not be removed while in removal proceedings would encourage the immigrant to stay. And, we do not think construing Subsection (iv) to reach advice from attorneys endangers statutes like 18 U.S.C. 2(a), the general aiding and abetting statute. An attorney can knowingly encourage a course of action without aiding or abetting it. Moreover, as we have explained, remaining in the country while undocumented, without more, is not a crime. More fundamentally, though, the government has already shown its intent to prosecute those citizens (attorneys or sympathetic lay persons) who give even general immigration advice. See Henderson , 857 F.Supp.2d at 193.

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