Be Careful: Permanent Bar Now Retroactive!

In Carrillo de Palacios, the Ninth circuit held that any unlawful presence period before 4/1/1997 can be used to trigger the permanent bar even if the illegal or attempted illegal re-entry happened only months after 4/1/97. The case is currently on appeal because it allows for a new law to be applied retroactively to unlawful presence before the new law (IIRIRA) took effect in 4/1/1997 when the permanent bar and the unlawful presence bars (3 & 10 year bars) were created. The applicant in this case had 245(i) adjustment eligibility if not for the permanent bar and was denied her opportunity to apply for a green card.