Adam Walsh Act Cases: Family-Based Immigrant Petitions

On July 27, 2006 President George W. Bush enacted the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. This law was meant to protect children from sexual exploitation in violent crimes, prevent child abuse and child pornography, and to promote Internet safety. However, the act also amended INA Section 204 and effectively prohibited US citizens and lawful permanent resident aliens who have been convicted of any “specific crime against a minor” from filing any family-based immigrant petition on behalf of any beneficiary. In this program, attorney and forensic expert Mark Silver presents an overview of the Adam Walsh Act as it pertains to immigration defense lawyers who assist clients with family-based immigration petitions.

Learning Objectives:

I.     Recognize the legal background of the Adam Walsh Act

II.    Identify major mitigation strategies and criteria in defense of these cases 

III.   Understand major risk factors in these cases 

IV.   Grasp the overall purpose of criminal mitigation in this context