Legal immigrant drinks and drives with his young son in the car. Feds: That’s child abuse, as we interpret the relevant statute, even if no harm came to the boy. So you’re deported. Ninth Circuit: The feds’ interpretation is entitled to Chevron deference. Dissent: The new interpretation of the law means conduct driven by poverty (like leaving a child home alone to run an errand) can get you deported. Fault the guy for endangering his son, but breaking a family apart is not what Congress intended here.
