United States v. Erazo-Diaz
United States v. Erazo-Diaz
Opinion of the Court
On March 7, 2018, Defendant Eder Said Erazo-Diaz was indicted for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of
I. Background
Defendant is a Honduran national who first entered the United States in 2007. On August 1, 2008, he was served with a Notice to Appear, alleging that he was removable under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Notice to Appear directed Defendant to appear before an immigration judge "on a date to be set at a time to be set to show why [he] should not be removed from the United States...." On August 18, 2008, Defendant was served with a Notice of Hearing, scheduling his master hearing before the immigration court on October 20, 2008, at 1:00 p.m. Defendant was subsequently served with ten more Notices of Hearing, each continuing the master hearing to a later date. Finally, on December 8, 2010, the immigration judge ordered that Defendant be deported to Honduras. Defendant was deported on December 17, 2010.
Defendant reentered the United States. Immigration officials determined that Defendant was removable through reinstatement of the December 2010 order of removal. Defendant was deported on September 13, 2017.
Defendant was apprehended on February 10, 2018, after reentering the United States. He is now charged with illegal reentry "after having been ... removed ... on or about September 13, 2017[.]" He argues that his charge must be dismissed because the immigration judge lacked jurisdiction to enter the December 2010 order of removal, a fact which would preclude the Government from relying on that order or its reinstatement.
*870II. Discussion
Defendant challenges the underlying removal order upon which the § 1326(a) charge is predicated. Defendant contends that the order of removal that was reinstated and used to deport him was void. Based on her interpretation of a recent United States Supreme Court case, Pereira v. Sessions , --- U.S. ----,
Defendant's collateral challenge is governed by § 1326(d), which requires him to demonstrate that (1) he exhausted the administrative remedies available for seeking relief from the predicate removal order; (2) the removal proceedings improperly deprived him of the opportunity for judicial review; and (3) the predicate removal order was fundamentally unfair. A removal order is fundamentally unfair if "(1) a defendant's due process rights were violated by defects in his underlying deportation proceeding, and (2) he suffered prejudice as a result of the defects." United States v. Guizar-Rodriguez ,
A. Pereira v. Sessions & Notices to Appear
Title 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(a)(1) authorizes immigration judges to "conduct proceedings for deciding the inadmissibility or deportability of an alien." Removal proceedings are initiated by the filing of a "notice to appear" with the immigration court.
The United States Supreme Court examined the interaction between a "notice to appear" (defined in § 1229(a)(1) ) and the "stop-time rule" (codified at § 1229b(d)(1) ), the latter of which relates to a form of discretionary relief available to aliens who "have accrued 10 years of continuous physical presence in the United States." Pereira ,
The Supreme Court explained that, by expressly referencing § 1229(a), the stop-time rule
specifies where to look to find out what "notice to appear" means. Section 1229(a), in turn, clarifies that the type of notice "referred to as a 'notice to appear' " throughout the statutory section is a "written notice ... specifying," as relevant here, "[t]he time and place at which the [removal] proceedings will be held." § 1229(a)(1)(G)(i). Thus, based on the plain text of the statute, it is clear that to trigger the stop-time rule, the Government must serve a notice to appear that, at the very least, "specif[ies]"
*871the "time and place" of the removal proceedings.
Federal district courts disagree on the reach of the Supreme Court's holding in Pereira . Some district courts have found that Pereira extends no further than the stop-time rule, and thus it does not serve as a basis for a § 1326(d) collateral attack. See, e.g. , United States v. Chavez , No. 2:17-CR-40106-01-HLT,
B. Immigration Court's Jurisdiction
Defendant emphasizes that the August 2008 Notice to Appear did not provide the date and time of his master hearing and contends, therefore, that it is not a "notice to appear" under § 1229(a). Since jurisdiction does not vest with the immigration court until a "notice to appear" is filed, he argues, the immigration court was without jurisdiction to order him removed from the United States.
The Government contends that Congress did not address by statute whether or when jurisdiction vests in the immigration court, and thus that issue is governed by the regulations implemented by the Attorney General. It argues that since the regulatory definition of a "notice to appear" does not require time-and-place information,
Judge Bowman agreed with Defendant, finding that only a valid "notice to appear" can confer jurisdiction on the immigration court, and that a notice is invalid if it omits the date-and-time information. Judge Bowman further found that a lack of jurisdiction cannot be waived, and that an invalid notice cannot be cured by subsequent service of a "notice of hearing." Therefore, since the immigration court lacked jurisdiction, Judge Bowman recommends finding that Defendant's removal proceedings were fundamentally unfair and ordering that the indictment be dismissed.
*872In its Objections, the Government urges this Court to follow the other cases in this district that have rejected arguments identical to Defendant's. The Government argues that Pereira expressly limited its holding to cases involving the stop-time rule, which is not at issue in this case. The Government asserts that, if Pereira did have such far-reaching consequences, the Supreme Court would not have remanded for further proceedings because there would be no jurisdiction for such proceedings. The Government also argues the Court should adhere to pre- Pereira case law upholding the two-step practice of serving a notice without time-and-place information and then a subsequent notice of hearing containing that information, and to post- Pereira administrative decisions that reject a broad reading of Pereira .
The Court agrees with Defendant. Although the Supreme Court narrowly defined the issue in Pereira , it held clearly and repeatedly that a notice that omits the time and place of the removal proceedings "is not a 'notice to appear under section 1229(a).' "
The Court disagrees with the Government that deference should be given to the regulatory definition of a "notice to appear," or to any administrative decisions that adopt a narrow reading of Pereira . "Congress has supplied a clear and unambiguous answer to the interpretive question at hand"-i.e., a notice that does not specify the time and place of the removal proceedings is not a "notice to appear" under § 1229(a) -and an inconsistent agency regulation cannot displace Congress' intent.
The Government's citation to United States v. Ortega , No. 17-10295,
Although § 1229(a)(1)(G)(i) requires a notice to appear to "specify [ ]" the time and place at which the proceedings will be held, this court has never held that the [notice to appear] cannot state that the time and place of the proceedings will be set at a future time by the Immigration Court. This court silently has adopted the rule that the time and date of a removal proceeding can be sent after the first notice to appear.
The Court finds that a "notice to appear" under § 1229(a)(1) was not filed in Defendant's case, and thus jurisdiction did not vest in the immigration court pursuant to
C. Defendant's Collateral Attack
Defendant contends that he has satisfied the fundamental-unfairness prong of § 1326(d) because the illegal order of removal was entered in violation of his due process rights, and he was removed when he should not have been. He argues further that, for two reasons, he is not required to show he exhausted administrative remedies or was denied judicial review: first, prior to Pereira , it would have been futile to argue that a notice that omits the time-and-place information invalidates the removal proceedings because both Board of Immigration Appeals and Ninth Circuit precedent foreclosed such an argument; and, second, exhaustion and judicial review are unnecessary because, without jurisdiction, the removal proceedings are a legal nullity.
The Court agrees that the order of removal is fundamentally unfair under § 1326(d)(3). Because it was entered without jurisdiction, it was a violation of Defendant's due process rights, and, as it unlawfully resulted in Defendant's removal, it prejudiced Defendant. See United States v. Aguilera-Rios ,
Furthermore, since the order of removal is void for lack of jurisdiction, Defendant was not required to exhaust his administrative remedies or seek judicial review. See Lazaro v. Mukasey ,
III. Conclusion
Defendant has shown that he is entitled to relief. The December 2010 order of removal is void because the immigration court lacked jurisdiction to enter it. Therefore, the Government is unable to establish an element of the offense of illegal reentry. United States v. Vasquez-Gonzalez ,
IT IS ORDERED:
1. The Government's Objections (Doc. 52) are overruled . The Report and Recommendation (Doc. 48) is accepted and adopted in full .
2. Defendant's Motion to Dismiss Indictment (Doc. 33) is granted . The indictment in the above-captioned matter against Defendant Eder Said Erazo-Diaz is dismissed .
REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
Honorable Leslie A. Bowman, United States Magistrate Judge
The District Court referred this case to the Magistrate Judge for a hearing on the defendant's motion to dismiss indictment pursuant to
A hearing was held on 10/18/18. No witnesses testified. Government's Exhibits 1-6 and Defendant's Exhibits 11-13 were admitted and made part of the record, by stipulation of the parties. A second hearing was held on 10/30/18. Government's Exhibits 7-22 were admitted for purposes of this motion.
Charge:
The defendant is charged by indictment with re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of
Motion to Dismiss:
Facts - The facts are not in dispute. The defendant is charged with illegally re-entering the United States after being removed from the country on about 9/13/17. The removal was based on an order reinstating a prior order of removal that was entered on 12/8/10. The 2010 removal order was initiated by a Notice to Appear (NTA), dated 8/1/08. (Ex. 13) The NTA before an immigration judge includes the place of the defendant's initial removal hearing but does not provide a date or time. Instead it states "a date to be set" at "a time to be set". The NTA is signed by the defendant, indicating that he requested a prompt hearing. Thereafter, the defendant was served with 11 Notices of Hearing (NOH), beginning on 8/18/08. After numerous continuances, the last notice was *875served on 11/23/10. (Exs. 8-10, 12-18, 20) The final NOH set a master hearing on 12/8/10. A review of Exhibit 6, an audio recording of the 12/8/10 hearing, confirms that the defendant attended the removal hearing and was represented by counsel.
The Court finds that the NTA is deficient. The immigration court did not have subject matter jurisdiction. The removal order was invalid and could not be reinstated and relied on to remove the defendant from the United States.
Discussion - Due process allows a defendant charged pursuant to
In the present case, the defendant argues that the deportation order that was reinstated and used to remove him from the United States was unlawful and void because the NTA that initiated the proceedings did not include the date and time he was to appear, in violation of
The government responds that the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) does not address when or how jurisdiction vests with the immigration court. It refers the Court to the "comprehensive framework" of regulations, including
The defendant relies on Pereira v. Sessions , --- U.S. ----,
The government argues that the Court in Pereira stated several times that the holding was intended to be narrow and to address the intersection of the statutory provisions in 8 U.S.C. §§ 1229b(d)(1)(A) and 1229(a). The focus of the discussion was on the information a NTA must contain to trigger the Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA) "stop-time rule", which ends a noncitizen's period of continuous presence in the United States for purposes of an application for cancellation of removal. According to the government, the holding cannot be expanded to apply to anything other than the stop-time rule and the Court did not address jurisdiction. The government cites Popa v. Holder ,
In Popa , the 9th Circuit held that an alien can be ordered removed in absentia, pursuant to 8 U.S.C. s 1229a(b)(5)(A), even if the original NTA fails to specify the time and date of the hearing as long as notice of the hearing's time and date is sent in a later communication. Popa v. Holder ,
Pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(b)(5)(A), an "alien who, after written notice ... has been provided to the alien or the alien's counsel of record, does not attend a proceeding ... shall be ordered removed in absentia if the [government] establishes by clear, unequivocal, and convincing evidence that the written notice was so provided and that the alien is removable."
Popa ,
Any alien who, after written notice required under paragraph (1) or (2) of section 1229(a) of this title has been provided to the alien or the alien's counsel of record, does not attend a proceeding ... shall be ordered removed in *877absentia if the [government] establishes by clear, unequivocal, and convincing evidence that the written notice was so provided and that the alien is removable ....
8 U.S.C.A. § 1229a(b)(5)(A) (emphasis added) The elided passage is not surplusage. As the Supreme Court explained in Periera , when the INA refers to the notice statute explicitly, the NTA must contain all statutory elements. The NTA in Popa failed to give the time and date of the hearing. It was therefore defective and could not trigger the removal procedure under § 1229a(b)(5)(A) contrary to the 9th Circuit's holding. This court concludes that Popa is no longer good law after Periera , and the government's reliance on Popa in the pending action is misplaced. See Pereira v. Sessions , --- U.S. ----,
In order to be valid, the statute requires that a NTA state the date and time of a hearing. The NTA is the trigger that confers jurisdiction on the immigration court. Neither the defendant's appearance at the hearing, nor his failure to appeal, can constitute waiver of defects in the court's subject matter jurisdiction. Pursuant to
In Periera the defendant was served with a NTA that lacked the hearing date and time, as was the defendant in the present case. The Supreme Court rejected the same argument the government makes in the instant case. The government explained that the NTA met the statutory requirements because it complied with immigration regulations, and later provided a NOH with the date and time. Congress has defined the NTA by statute. The Department of Justice has tried to circumvent the statutory requirement of date and time by promulgating a regulation that only requires date and time "where practicable."
The Supreme Court concluded that, "[a] notice that does not inform a noncitizen when and where to appear for removal proceedings is not a 'notice to appear under section 1229(a).' " It went on to say that "[if] the three words 'notice to appear' mean anything in this context, they must mean that, at a minimum, the Government has to provide noncitizens 'notice' of the information, i.e. the 'time' and 'place' that would enable them 'to appear' at the removal hearing in the first place."
Conclusion- Pursuant to
RECOMMENDATION:
In view of the foregoing, it is recommended that, after its independent review of the record, the District Court GRANT the motion to dismiss the indictment. (Doc. 33)
Government counsel may serve and file written objections within 14 days. If objections are not timely filed, the party's right to de novo review may be waived. No reply to objections shall be filed unless leave is granted from the District Court.
The Clerk of the Court is directed to send a copy of this Report and Recommendation to all parties.
Dated this 2nd day of November, 2018.
A district judge must "make a de novo determination of those portions" of a magistrate judge's "report or specified proposed findings or recommendations to which objection is made."
Several cases from this district have reached this conclusion. See, e.g. , United States v. Mendoza-Barcenas , No. CR-18-01291-001-TUC-JAS (DTF),
This issue has been decided contrary to this R & R in CR-18-0365-TUC-RCC(JR) (Doc. 50) and CR-18-1291-TUC-JAS(DTF) (Doc. 39).
During the hearing a Spanish language interpreter interpreted for the defendant only when the judge addressed him directly. No interpretation was provided when the court and the attorneys spoke to each other about the case and the law. The judge chastised the defendant throughout the hearing. The defendant's attorney stated that she had not spoken to the defendant about certain issues. She stood by silently throughout the majority of the hearing, never communicating with the defendant or intervening on his behalf. She advised the court that she had researched all possible issues that might allow for cancellation of removal and she agreed with the court's assessment that there was no relief available. The defendant was advised of the consequences of returning to the United States without permission and acknowledged that he understood.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- United States v. Eder Said ERAZO-DIAZ
- Cited By
- 6 cases
- Status
- Published