Cancino-Castellar v. Nielsen
Cancino-Castellar v. Nielsen
Opinion of the Court
Before the Court is a motion for reconsideration of the Court's February 8, 2018 order (the "Order") dismissing the Complaint for lack of jurisdiction, filed by Plaintiff-Petitioners Jose Orlando Cancino-Castellar, Ana Maria Hernandez Aguas, and Michael Gonzalez, (collectively, "Plaintiffs"). (ECF No. 50.) Defendants
RELEVANT BACKGROUND
Plaintiffs filed the putative class action complaint and habeas petition (the "Complaint"), alleging that Defendants have a "policy and practice of detaining individuals for extended periods without promptly presenting them for an initial hearing before an immigration judge or promptly seeking judicial review of probable cause for detention." (Compl. ¶¶ 1, 4-6.) Each Plaintiff was taken into custody by various immigration enforcement agencies and detained pursuant to Defendants' alleged policy. (Id. ¶¶ 47-49.) Plaintiffs alleged that "many individuals" who have claims to relief from removal "routinely languish in detention for two months or longer before they see a judge" because of Defendants' alleged policy. (Id. ¶ 1.)
The Complaint challenged Defendants' conduct as violating (1) detained individuals' Fifth Amendment procedural and substantive due process rights by causing detention without prompt presentment, (2) their Fourth Amendment rights to a *1110prompt judicial determination of whether probable cause justifies their detention, and (3) the Administrative Procedure Act ("APA"),
On February 8, 2018, the Court granted Defendants' motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction. (ECF No. 49.) The Court determined that it lacks jurisdiction over Gonzalez's Fourth Amendment probable cause claim pursuant to
On February 27, 2018, the Supreme Court decided Jennings v. Rodriguez , --- U.S. ----,
LEGAL STANDARD
"Reconsideration is appropriate if the district court (1) is presented with newly discovered evidence, (2) committed clear error or the initial decision was manifestly unjust, or (3) if there is an intervening change in controlling law." Sch. Dist. No. 1J, Multnomah Cty. v. ACandS, Inc. ,
DISCUSSION
A. The Scope and Application of Section 1252(b)(9)
The parties dispute whether Jennings supports the Court's conclusion that it lacks jurisdiction over the claims asserted in the Complaint pursuant to
*11111. Statutory Text and Pre- Jennings Interpretation
As the Court has observed, Section 1252(a)(5) is central to Section 1252(b)(9)'s scope. The former establishes that "a petition for review filed with the appropriate court of appeals ... shall be the sole and exclusive means for review of an order of removal entered or issued under any provision of this chapter[.]"
Prior to Jennings , the Supreme Court discussed Section 1252(b)(9) twice. In its first pass, the Court characterized Section 1252(b)(9) as an "unmistakable zipper clause," which consolidates judicial review of "all decisions and actions" in the removal process. Reno v. Am.-Arab Anti-Discrimination Comm. ,
The Ninth Circuit's pre- Jennings precedent reflects three points. First, pre- Jennings Ninth Circuit precedent indicated that Sections 1252(a)(5) and 1252(b)(9) are "not jurisdiction-stripping statutes that, by their terms, foreclose all judicial review," but rather "bypass the district court" and "channel judicial review over final orders of removal to the courts of appeals" in a petition for review ("PFR"). J.E.F.M. ,
Second, pre- Jennings Ninth Circuit precedent noted that the provisions have "built-in limits" "[b]y channeling only those questions 'arising from any action taken or proceeding brought to remove an alien[.]' " J.E.F.M. ,
Finally, pre- Jennings Ninth Circuit precedent broadly held that, " Sections 1252(a)(5) and 1252(b)(9) mean that any issue ... arising from any removal-related activity can be reviewed only through the PFR process." J.E.F.M. , 837 F.3d at at 1031 (emphasis in original); id. at 1034 ( Section 1252(b)(9)"make[s] perfectly clear ... that 'review of a final order of removal is the only mechanism for reviewing any issue raised in a removal proceeding'[ ]" (quoting H.R. Rep. No. 109-72, at 173) ). The Ninth Circuit expressly rejected the notion that an asserted lack of "meaningful review" of a claim in the PFR process could "circumvent an unambiguous statute." J.E.F.M. , 837 F.3d at at 1036.
2. Jennings v. Rodriguez 's Jurisdictional Analysis
In Jennings , the plaintiff aliens sought injunctive and declaratory relief and habeas on behalf of themselves and a class. Jennings ,
Before reversing the Ninth Circuit's interpretation of the detention statutes, the Supreme Court addressed Section 1252(b)(9) as a "potential obstacle[ ]" to jurisdiction. With only eight justices, the Court was fragmented in its views. Jennings ,
*1113Justice Thomas took the broadest view of Section 1252(b)(9). He first observed that, "[i]f an alien raises a claim arising from such an action or proceeding, courts cannot review it unless they are reviewing a 'final order' under § 1252(a)(1) or exercising jurisdiction otherwise provided in § 1252," a limitation that habeas could not avoid.
Justice Alito took a middle approach-he did not find jurisdiction simply because there was no final order of removal, nor did he conclude there was no jurisdiction simply because the plaintiffs were in removal-related detention. He first asked what legal question the Court had to decide, which he identified as "whether ... certain statutory provisions require detention without a bond hearing."
In concluding that the legal question did not arise from the acts covered by Section 1252(b)(9), Justice Alito first rejected an "expansive" interpretation of "arising from" that would bar jurisdiction simply because the aliens would not be in custody at all if actions to remove them had never been taken.
Not "attempt[ing] to provide a comprehensive interpretation," Justice Alito concluded it was jurisdictionally "enough" that "respondents are not asking for review of an order of removal; they are not challenging the decision to detain them in the first place or to seek removal; and they are not challenging any part of the process by which their removability will be determined." Id. at 841. He expressly rejected Justice Thomas's view that Section 1252(b)(9) bars jurisdiction over removal-related detention. Justice Alito reasoned that "[t]he question is not whether detention is an action taken to remove an alien *1114but whether the legal questions in this case arise from such an action," questions which Justice Alito deemed "too remote from the actions taken to fall within the scope of § 1252(b)(9)." Id. at 841 n.3 (emphasis in original).
3. Jennings ' Relevant Departures from Ninth Circuit Precedent
Justice Alito's view of Section 1252(b)(9) departs from two aspects of pre- Jennings Ninth Circuit precedent on which the Court relied when it dismissed the Complaint for lack of jurisdiction. First, the Court expressly relied on prior Ninth Circuit precedent which contemplated a broad scope for Section 1252(b)(9). The Ninth Circuit expressly characterized Section 1252(b)(9) as " 'breathtaking' in scope and 'vise-like' in grip," which "swallows up virtually all claims that are tied to removal proceedings." J.E.F.M. ,
Second, the Court relied on pre- Jennings Ninth Circuit precedent which rejected the argument that Section 1252(b)(9) could not bar district court jurisdiction over a claim that cannot be meaningfully reviewed in the PFR process. (ECF No. 49 at 30-31); see J.E.F.M. ,
B. Jurisdiction Over the Complaint Post- Jennings
Plaintiffs characterize Jennings as concerning "prolonged detention without *1115certain procedural safeguards." (ECF No. 50-1 at 1.) Based on this characterization, they contend that their claims are "indistinguishable" from those in Jennings "for jurisdictional purposes" and thus Jennings "controls" jurisdiction. (ECF No. 50-1 at 1, 7-14; ECF No. 55 at 2-6.) Plaintiffs' characterization of Jennings , however, extends it beyond its narrower legal question and elides the case-specific inquiry reflected in Justice Alito's analysis of whether Section 1252(b)(9) bars jurisdiction. Pursuant to that inquiry, a court should first identify what legal (or factual) question the plaintiff raises and then determine whether that question "arises from" an action taken to remove an alien or removal proceedings. Jennings ,
1. Fourth Amendment Probable Cause Claim
Plaintiffs' Fourth Amendment claim raises the legal question of whether the Amendment "permit[s] the government to detain individuals without prompt judicial determination of whether probable cause justifies their detention." (Comp. ¶ 82.) Plaintiffs refine this question to be whether such a probable cause determination must occur within 48 hours of an individual being taken into immigration custody by an immigration officer. (Id. ¶ 46.) As Defendants recognize (ECF No. 53 at 3), the legal question raised by Plaintiffs' Fourth Amendment claim arises from aspects of the removal process over which Justice Alito indicated Section 1252(b)(9) would bar jurisdiction.
For one, the claim plainly "challeng[es] the decision to detain them in the first place[.]" Jennings ,
For this reason, the Court must reject Plaintiffs' contention that the Court may exercise jurisdiction over their Fourth Amendment claim on the ground that it is effectively unreviewable because it also involves detention. The detention-framing of the Complaint makes addressing the impact of Section 1252(b)(9) on Plaintiffs' Fourth Amendment claim challenging. But, as the Court has explained, Justice Alito's analysis should not be read to fashion a free-standing exception to Section 1252(b)(9) based on the mere assertion that a claim is effectively unreviewable or challenges "prolonged detention." As Justice Alito himself confirmed, a court must decide whether the legal or factual question a plaintiff raises arises from an action taken to remove or the removal process. Jennings ,
Finally, Plaintiffs cannot tenably argue that the Court may grant a remedy for this claim "without impeding removal proceedings." (ECF No. 50-1 at 1.) Unlike the Jennings plaintiffs, Plaintiffs' Fourth Amendment claim does not seek a "procedural safeguard" to justify continued detention pending removal proceedings. Instead, Plaintiffs seek a "procedural safeguard" by which a detained individual's removability from the United States is immediately reviewable by an IJ. Although the Court is not insensitive to the notion that the absence of such a procedure unreasonably "extends" detention for individuals detained after being taken into immigration custody, the relief Plaintiffs request is the premise of removal proceedings-assessing whether an individual is removable from the United States and the government's evidence on that issue. See Delgado v. Quarantillo ,
2. Fifth Amendment Prompt Presentment Claim
Plaintiffs' Fifth Amendment claim raises the legal question of whether the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause "permit[s] the government to detain Plaintiff-Petitioners or other members of the class without promptly presenting them before a judge." (Compl. ¶ 77.) The claim is premised on the notion that procedural and substantive due process require "prompt presentment" to justify the deprivation of physical liberty that detention represents. (Id. ¶¶ 35-39, 41-43.) Based on Justice Alito's analysis in Jennings , the Court concludes that Section 1252(b)(9) does not bar jurisdiction over Plaintiffs' Fifth Amendment claim.
At the heart of Plaintiffs' Fifth Amendment claim is the notion that unreasonable delays in the presentment of detained aliens seeing an immigration judge ("IJ") unconstitutionally extends their detention.
*1117(Compl. ¶¶ 40, 44.)
In their motion, Plaintiffs also aver that first presentment need not be an initial MCH. The Complaint expressly alleges that Defendants "confine[ ] individuals for removal proceedings without ... [an] automatic custody review hearing before an immigration judge," "commonly called a bond hearing." (Compl. ¶¶ 6, 63.) When Plaintiffs' Fifth Amendment claim is reconsidered in light of this allegation, the claim is more analogous to the bond hearing claim at issue in Jennings , with the key difference being whether a bond hearing should be "automatic" or more promptly held than it is currently alleged to be.
As in Jennings , treating Plaintiffs' Fifth Amendment claim regarding alleged prolonged detention resulting from delays in presentment as "arising from" an action taken to remove an alien would make Plaintiffs' claim "effectively unreviewable." Jennings , 138. S.Ct. at 840. Allegedly excessive detention caused by delays in presentment cannot be remedied in a PFR because "by the time a final order was eventually entered, the allegedly excessive detention would have already taken place."
CONCLUSION & ORDER
For the foregoing reasons, the Court GRANTS IN PART AND DENIES IN PART Plaintiffs' motion for reconsideration. (ECF No. 50.) The Court AFFIRMS that it lacks jurisdiction over Plaintiffs' Fourth Amendment claim. However, Section 1252(b)(9) does not bar jurisdiction over the Plaintiffs' Fifth Amendment claim and the Court REINSTATES the Complaint *1118as to that claim and Plaintiffs' APA claim, to the extent it is based on the same alleged failure to "promptly present."
Consistent with the Court's prior Order, Plaintiffs are nevertheless GRANTED LEAVE TO AMEND to assert a challenge to the conditions of confinement at detention facilities in the District. Plaintiffs may file an amended complaint no later than October 1, 2018 . If they do not file one, Defendants may answer or move to dismiss the Fifth Amendment claim for failure to state a claim pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) no later than October 15, 2018 .
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Defendants are: Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ("DHS"); Thomas Homan, Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE"); Kevin K. McAleenan, Acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("CBP"); Gregory Archambeault, Field Office Director for the San Diego Field Office of ICE; Jefferson B. Sessions III, Attorney General of the United States; and Juan P. Osuna, Director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review ("EOIR"). (ECF No. 1.)
The Court's Order discusses in detail the factual allegations and history of this case. (ECF No. 49 at 3-11.) The Court does not recount that background here.
The Ninth Circuit viewed the argument as inapposite because "it stem[med] from dicta in McNary [v. Haitian Refugee Center ]," which was "a statutory interpretation case involving a completely different statute." J.E.F.M. ,
Plaintiffs suggest that the Court could adopt Justice Breyer's view. As Justice Thomas observed, however, "the prefatory clause and § 1252(b)(9) mean that review of all questions arising from removal must occur in connection with review of a final removal order under § 1252(a)(1), which makes sense given that § 1252(b)(9) is meant to '[c]onsolidat[e] ... questions for judicial review.' " Jennings ,
J.E.F.M . relied on First Circuit precedent which expressly identified detention challenges and infringement of the right to family integrity as claims that would not fall within Section 1252(b)(9). See Aguilar ,
Plaintiffs do not allege a policy in which individuals are detained without probable cause to believe they are aliens removable from the United States, nor do they seek relief premised on whether an individual is in fact not an alien. The Court does not address whether Section 1252(b)(9) would apply in those circumstances.
Plaintiffs' Fourth Amendment claim is fundamentally different from the bond hearing claim at issue in Jennings in this regard. The Jennings plaintiffs expressly sought access to bond hearings to justify their continued detention. Jennings ,
In particular, the Complaint alleges that "DHS fails to provide the time, place, and date of the initial [MCH] in the [NTA]" and instead "relies on EOIR to schedule the hearing," which in turn "does not schedule more expeditious initial Master Calendar Hearings for detainees" and "frequently sets the initial Master Calendar Hearing for detained immigration cases in the Southern District of California for one to three months after receiving the Notice to Appear." (Compl. ¶¶ 28, 64-67.)
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Jose Orlando CANCINO-CASTELLAR, Plaintiff-Petitioners v. Kirstjen NIELSEN, Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Defendant-Respondents.
- Cited By
- 5 cases
- Status
- Published