Bansci v. Nielsen
Opinion of the Court
Before the Court is the
*7321); Petitioners' Motion for Emergency Hearing (DE 2); Respondents' Motion to Dismiss (DE 16); Petitioners' Response to Respondents' Motion to Dismiss (DE 18); Respondents' Reply (DE 19); Petitioners' Surreply (DE 25); and Christine P. Payne's Motion to Appear Pro Hac Vice on behalf of Petitioners (DE 16). Upon consideration, Respondents' Motion to Dismiss (DE 16) is GRANTED; Petitioners' § 2241 Petition (DE 1) is DISMISSED; and Petitioners' Motion for Emergency Hearing (DE 2) and Young's Motion to Appear Pro Hac Vice (DE 17) are DENIED AS MOOT.
I. Factual and Procedural Background
Petitioners are citizens of Romania who, on June 2, 2018, entered the United States via Canada. (DE 1). According to the Safe Third Country Agreement ("STCA") between Canada and the United States, aliens entering the United States from Canada at a land border port-of-entry may be returned to Canada to seek protection under Canadian immigration law. See United States v. Malenge ,
Prior to any determination concerning whether an alien arriving in the United States at a U.S.-Canada land border port-of-entry or in transit through the U.S. during removal by Canada has a credible fear of persecution or torture, the asylum officer shall conduct a threshold screening interview to determine whether such an alien is ineligible to apply for asylum pursuant to section 208(a)(2)(A) of the Act and subject to removal to Canada by operation of the Agreement Between the Government of the United States and the Government of Canada For Cooperation in the Examination of Refugee Status Claims from Nationals of Third Countries ("Agreement"). In conducting this threshold screening interview, the asylum officer shall apply all relevant interview procedures outlined in paragraph (d) of this section, provided, however, that paragraph (d)(2) of this section shall not apply to aliens described in this paragraph. The asylum officer shall advise the alien of the Agreement's exceptions and question the alien as to applicability of any of these exceptions to the alien's case.
(i) If the asylum officer, with concurrence from a supervisory asylum officer, determines that an alien does not qualify for an exception under the Agreement during this threshold screening interview, the alien is ineligible to apply for asylum in the United States. After the asylum officer's documented finding is reviewed by a supervisory asylum officer, the alien shall be advised that he or she will be removed to Canada in order to pursue his or her claims relating to a fear of persecution or torture under Canadian law. Aliens found ineligible to apply for asylum under this paragraph shall be removed to Canada.
(ii) If the alien establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that he or she qualifies for an exception under the terms of the Agreement, the asylum officer shall make a written notation of the basis of the exception, and then proceed immediately to a determination concerning whether the alien has a credible fear *733of persecution or torture under paragraph (d) of this section.
(iii) An alien qualifies for an exception to the Agreement if the alien is not being removed from Canada in transit through the United States and
(A) Is a citizen of Canada or, not having a country of nationality, is a habitual resident of Canada;
(B) Has in the United States a spouse, son, daughter, parent, legal guardian, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew who has been granted asylum, refugee, or other lawful status in the United States, provided, however, that this exception shall not apply to an alien whose relative maintains only nonimmigrant visitor status, as defined in section 101(a)(15)(B) of the Act, or whose relative maintains only visitor status based on admission to the United States pursuant to the Visa Waiver Program;
(C) Has in the United States a spouse, son, daughter, parent, legal guardian, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew who is at least 18 years of age and has an asylum application pending before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, or on appeal in federal court in the United States;
(D) Is unmarried, under 18 years of age, and does not have a parent or legal guardian in either Canada or the United States;
(E) Arrived in the United States with a validly issued visa or other valid admission document, other than for transit, issued by the United States to the alien, or, being required to hold a visa to enter Canada, was not required to obtain a visa to enter the United States; or
(F) The Director of USCIS, or the Director's designee, determines, in the exercise of unreviewable discretion, that it is in the public interest to allow the alien to pursue a claim for asylum, withholding of removal, or protection under the Convention Against Torture, in the United States.
In this case, Petitioners were screened, and it was determined they did not satisfy any of the listed exceptions to the STCA; as a result, Petitioners were issued an expedited order of removal and were returned to Canada to pursue their asylum claims under Canadian law.
On July 9, 2018, Petitioners filed a § 2241 Habeas Corpus Petition, along with a Motion for Emergency Expedited Hearing, seeking to prevent or postpone their expedited removal by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on the basis that they had been denied the right to a credible fear interview despite indicating their intention to apply for asylum and expressing fear of returning to Romania. (DE 1). This Court entered an order, dated July 10, 2018, requiring Respondents to file an expedited response and further, ordering that the expedited order of removal be immediately stayed. (DE 6). However, unbeknownst to the Court, at the time it entered its order, Petitioners were already in the process of being removed to Canada. (DE 16-1). In fact, at 4:59 p.m. when Petitioners' § 2241 Habeas Corpus Petition was file stamped, Petitioners were en route to New York, *734from where they would then be removed to Canada. (DE 1; DE 16-1).
Respondents then filed a Motion to Dismiss, maintaining Petitioners' habeas motion is moot in light of Petitioners' removal. (DE 16). Respondents also argued that this Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over this case because Petitioners' request for a stay of the removal proceedings is expressly precluded by Section 1252(e)(5). (DE 19). Petitioners contend their claims are not mooted by removal because they challenge their removal proceedings and the collateral consequences rather than the length or conditions of their detention. (DE 18). They maintain they have been deprived of a meaningful right to apply for asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture (CAT) relief under the government statutes and regulations. (DE 1). Petitioners seek an Order vacating their unlawful expedited removal orders and ordering that their asylum claims be processed, beginning with a credible fear interview. (Id.).
II. Discussion
A. Is this case moot?
Petitioners bring this action pursuant to
Further, although Respondents assert that Petitioners "were removed by the time the Court's July 10[th] Order was issued", the "in custody" determination is made as of the time the habeas petition is filed. Spencer v. Kemna ,
However, before a court can exercise habeas jurisdiction over a petitioner no longer in custody, "the petitioner must demonstrate that ... his subsequent release has not rendered the petition moot, i.e., that he continues to present a case or controversy under Article III, § 2 of the Constitution." Zalawadia ,
In the present case, Petitioners' deportation bars them from seeking reentry into the United States for a period of five *735years, a penalty that has been found to constitute a cognizable collateral consequence.
B. Does this Court have jurisdiction?
It is well settled that " '[f]ederal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction,' possessing 'only that power authorized by Constitution and statute.' " Gunn v. Minton ,
1. The REAL ID Act
Petitioners allege that this Court has jurisdiction pursuant to
Judicial review of any determination made under section 1225(b)(1) of this title is available in habeas corpus proceedings, but shall be limited to determinations of-(A) whether the petitioner is an alien, (B) whether the petitioner was ordered removed under such section, and (C) whether the petitioner can prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the petitioner is an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence, has been admitted as a refugee under section 1157 of this title, or has been granted asylum under section 1158 of this title[.]
Petitioners maintain their claims are "directly within the scope of the permitted jurisdictional grounds under
However, § 1252(e)(5) specifically provides that in determining whether the petitioner was ordered removed under § 1225(b)(1), "the court's inquiry shall be limited to whether such an order in fact was issued and whether it relates to the petitioner. There shall be no review of whether the alien is actually admissible or entitled to any relief from removal." Solis-de Patino v. Pitts ,
Accordingly,
2. Suspension Clause of the United States Constitution
Petitioners contend that "even if this Court found that
The Suspension Clause of the United States Constitution provides that "[t]he Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it." U.S. CONST. art. I, § 9, cl. 2. To determine whether a jurisdiction-stripping statute such as § 1252(e)(2) violates the Suspension Clause, the Court applies the two-step analysis established by Boumediene ,
In Castro ,
In the present case, Petitioners cite to Osorio-Martinez ,
Unlike the petitioners in Osorio-Martinez , the Petitioners in the present case were detained at the border and remained in the United States approximately one week before being issued an order of expedited removal. Petitioners claim, however, that "they have important ties to the United States that distinguish them from other aliens seeking entry." In particular, Petitioners, who have been well represented by counsel throughout these proceedings, state that they "may" qualify for the family exception to the Safe Third Country Agreement if they are permitted to identify all their family members in the United States in their native language. Petitioners' tentative claim hardly demonstrates significant connections to this country so as to warrant the Constitution's protections.
Further, as Respondents point out, every circuit court, including the Fifth Circuit, has explicitly or implicitly rejected similar Suspension Clause challenge to Sections 1252(e)(2) and (e)(5) - even after Boumediene ,
Because Petitioners have not overcome Boumediene's first hurdle, the Court does not address whether the substitute for habeas is adequate and effective to test the legality of the petitioners' removal. While the Court is sympathetic to Petitioners' plight, their inability to invoke the Suspension Clause leaves this Court without jurisdiction to consider Petitioners' claims.
III. Conclusion
For the foregoing reasons, the Court concludes it lacks jurisdiction over Petitioners' claims and therefore, enters the following Orders:
IT IS ORDERED that Respondents' Motion to Dismiss (DE 16) is GRANTED.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Petitioners' § 2241 Petition (DE 1) is DISMISSED
ADDITIONALLY, IT IS ORDERED that all other pending motions, including Petitioners' Motion for Emergency Hearing (DE 2), and Young's Motion to Appear Pro Hac Vice (DE 17), are DENIED AS MOOT .
IT IS FINALLY ORDERED that this case be CLOSED .
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Mindra Berecz BANSCI and Junior Munteanu, A 215 567 890 and 215 567 891 v. Kirstjen NIELSEN, Secretary of the Dep't of Homeland Security, Daniel Bible, San Antonio Field Officer Director for Office of Detention & Removal Operations, and Wesley J. Lee, Facility Administrator of South Texas Family Residential Center
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published