What are the grounds of exclusion?
The immigration laws of the United States provide that certain classes of people may not enter this country. Collectively, this is known as exclusion or inadmissibility. These rules were established to protect society from undesirable elements (commercial vice), health risks (people who have dangerous communicative diseases), people who will be a drain on the public treasury (public charge), and people who are a threat to society (criminals and terrorists). In addition, there are grounds of inadmissibility that punish people who are presently violating or who have in the past violated the immigration laws of this country. An applicant for immigrant status must establish that he or she is not subject to any of these grounds before immigrant status may be granted.
