In re Ryuzo Higa
In re Ryuzo Higa
Opinion of the Court
This is an application for a writ of habeas corpus. The applicant, Ryuzo Higa, arrived at the port of Honolulu in the Territory of Hawaii, January 28, 1913, with his -wife, and was refused a landing by the board of special inquiry on the ground of his having a dangerous contagious disease, to-wit, unciniarisis, and ordered to be de
The writ was granted and the applicant produced in court.
It is not denied that the applicant formerly came to the Territory of Hawaii-.in May 1908, and remained here until May 1912, when he left for Japan, returning as stated above. The petition alleges that upon his first arrival here he had his domicil on the island of Hawaii, where he worked as a farm laborer, and that his departure for Japan in 1912 was for a temporary visit with the intention of returning and continuing to reside on said island of Hawaii, and he claims the right to land on that ground, — i. e., that he is a resident alien and not an immigrant alien. The report of further testimony taken at the hearing before the board of special inquiry, which is made a part of the return, bearing directly on the question of domicil is as follows:—
“Q. Where did you live when you first came to Hawaii? A. Wainaku, Hawaii. Q. How long did you live there? A. Four years. Q. Then where did you go? A. Waiakea, Hawaii. Q. How long did you live there? A. When I came to Hawaii the first I went to Waiakea and lived six months and then I went to Wainaku. Q. What did you do in Hawaii? A. Farm laborer. Q. What is your object in coming to Hawaii now? A. Farm laborer. Q. How long do you expect to live in Hawaii? A. About ten years. Q. Then where do you expect to go? A. Then I will go back to Japan. Q. Where do you consider you have a residence? A. Wainaku, Hawaii. Q. How do you malee that out? A. Because my brother lives there. Q. Your parents, together with two of your brothers and two of your sisters, live in Japan, do they not? A. Yes. Q. Who told*235 you to testify that you have a residence in Hawaii? A. No one. Q. Was it your intention when you left here in May of last year to return? A. Yes. Q. If you .are landed, where do you expect to go? A. Wainaku. Q. Why did you bring your wife to Hawaii this time? A. To work with me on the plantation. Q. What is your intention in coming to Hawaii now, to live here and make a home here, or is it your intention to work here, you and your wife, and save money and then return to Japan? A. I want to gO' back to Japan. Q. Do I understand you correctly that you brought your wife here to work on the plantation with you so that you could make and save more money? A. Yes. Q. Have you anything further to say? A. No.”
The investigation shows no effort to draw out information as to the status of the applicant after his first arrival. Beyond ascertaining where he had resided and that he was a farm laborer and that he had no property here and no money invested here, there were no further questions pertinent to his then status or his intentions in regard to his stay, in Hawaii, but the examination was diverted, as appears above, to ascertaining his present intention as to his future stay here and as to returning to Japan.
The real question at issue was, not what were his present intentions as to his movements ten years hence, but what was his status previous to his visit to Japan, as might be gathered from his acts and his plans during such stay here.
“The place where a person lives is taken to be his domicil until facts adduced establish the contrary, and a domicil when acquired is presumed to continue until it is shown to have been changed.” Anderson v. Watt, 138 U. S. 694, 706; Mitchell v. United States, 88 U. S. 350, 352; Desmare v. United States, 93 U. S. 605, 609.
“Two things must concur to effectuate a change of domi-cil: (1) An actual change or removal of residence. (2) An intention to make such change or removal permanent.” Doyle v. Clark, 7 Fed. Cas. 1029, No. 4053; Story, Conflict of Laws, sec. 46; Marks v. Marks, 75 Fed. 321, 328.
These two things do not concur here.
While the case of Ex parte Petterson, 166 Fed. 536, 540-541, rules that the cases decided under the provisions of the immigration act of March 3, 1891, 26 Stat. 1084, should be given little weight in considering cases brought under the immigration act of March 3, 1903, 32 Stat. 1213, because in the latter act the word “immigrant,” which was contained in the former act as qualifying the word “alien,” was omitted. Such conclusion, even if correct (Rodgers v. United
The return was demurred to and an amended return and second amended return were filed, whereupon the petitioner filed a motion that he be discharged. For the reasons and under the considerations above set forth, the motion is granted.
Overruled, as to the holding that the Immigration Act does not apply to domiciled or resident aliens, Lapina v. Williams, 232 U. S. 78.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF RYUZO HIGA FOR A WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS
- Status
- Published