QUOTE(diadromous mermaid @ Dec 29 2006, 02:18 PM)

This appears to me to be a comparison of apples and oranges. In the first case, an alien has been admonshed and given some sort of "sentence" if you will, as a result of a breach of regulation. And as a deportee, he or she has been instructed implicitly that to attempt re-entry prior to a certain number of years is improper and against regulation. The alien in this instance is seeking entry at the POE and is contraverting the directions the immigration court handed down in an earlier hearing. On the other hand, the second instance of entering the country and declaring to the POE agent that one is simply visiting, while having another mindset, the breach of regulation, as it were, would not have been committed until the alien attempts to remain on that visitor's document.
And someone who is given the I-94 on the plane has specifically been asked and answered that their intent is solely to be a visitor and to leave the country again. So if they check "No, I do not intend to stay in the US" and hand that card to the official at the POE, they have already lied to an immigration official, which is already unlawful.
If you believe that it's not the intent at POE that matters, but the ultimate actions of the alien, then by your logic it's legal to lie to the officer at the POE (which is what you're doing when you say you're going to leave on X date knowing you plan to stay, so how is that different from lying about anything else?), but unlawful to adjust status from any non-immigrant visa.
Oh and I realize this isn't relevant to the topic and you just mentioned it in passing, but also, after deportation you can't re-enter without written permission from DHS (i.e. a visitor's or other visa), even if your ban has elapsed. A lot of people don't know that and try to come back after the ban ends—and find themselves in criminal court for re-entry without permission (or, as I said, attempted re-entry without permission).