United States v. Baz-Bautista
United States v. Baz-Bautista
Opinion of the Court
Before the court in the above-styled and numbered cause are Defendant Urbano Baz-Bautista's Motion to Dismiss filed November 8, 2018 (Dkt. No. 19); Government's Response in Opposition to Defendant's Motion to Dismiss the Indictment filed November 19, 2018 (Dkt. No. 22); Reply to Government's Response to Motion to Dismiss filed November 27, 2018 (Dkt. No. 25); Government's Notice of Supplemental Authority filed November 26, 2018 (Dkt. No. 23); and Defendant's Response to the Government's "Notice of Supplemental Authority" filed November 29, 2018 (Dkt. No. 26). On November 30, 2018, the court conducted a hearing at which all parties were represented by counsel. Having considered the motion, response, reply, attached exhibits, supplemental authority, applicable law, and the *590arguments of counsel, the court will deny the motion for the reasons to follow.
I. BACKGROUND
On February 21, 2017, Baz-Bautista was indicted on one count of illegal reentry into the United States. See
YOU ARE ORDERED to appear before an immigration judge of the United States Department of Justice at: 5520 Greens Road Houston TEXAS 77032, on a date to be set at a time to be set to show why you should not be removed from the United States based on the charge(s) set forth above.
The certificate-of-service portion of the notice indicates that Baz-Bautista was provided with "oral notice in the Spanish language of the time and place of his [ ] hearing and of the consequences of failure to appear." The record does not include evidence that Baz-Bautista was ever personally served with a written notice of hearing containing the time and place of the hearing, though the Government asserts that "detained inmates are generally provided with written or oral notice of the hearing."
Removal proceedings occurred on or about June 3, 2010, and "upon the basis of respondent's [Baz-Bautista's] admissions" an immigration judge ordered Baz-Bautista removed from the United States to Mexico. The order of removal, signed June 3, 2010, indicates that Baz-Bautista's custodial officer was personally served with a copy of the order the same day. Although the record does not contain a signed waiver of appeal, "Appeal: Waived" is indicated at the end of the removal order. Baz-Bautista was removed from the United States to Mexico via Laredo, Texas, on June 4, 2010.
On December 26, 2016, Baz-Bautista was found in the United States again and placed in custody, after which time he was indicted on February 21, 2017, for illegal reentry. See
In order to prove illegal reentry, the Government must prove that Baz-Bautista "has been denied admission, excluded, deported, or removed or has departed the United States while an order of exclusion, deportation, or removal is outstanding."
II. LEGAL STANDARD
A criminal defendant may allege a defect in an indictment in a pretrial motion. See Fed. R. Crim. P. 12(b)(3)(B). An indictment must contain a "plain, concise and definite written statement of the essential facts constituting the offense charged." Fed. R. Crim. P. 7(c)(1). "[A] motion to dismiss an indictment for failure to state an offense is a challenge to the sufficiency of the indictment." United States v. Kay ,
The propriety of granting a motion to dismiss an indictment ... by pretrial motion is by-and-large contingent upon whether the infirmity in the prosecution is essentially one of law or involves determinations of fact .... If a question of law is involved, then consideration of the motion is generally proper.
United States v. Fontenot ,
III. ANALYSIS
a. Did the immigration court lack jurisdiction to render removal order?
Baz-Bautista first argues that the immigration court was without jurisdiction to enter the 2010 removal order, thus, as a matter of law, the current indictment lacks a sound basis, and this prosecution cannot continue.
Although the United States Constitution and governing statutes lack any reference to the jurisdiction of an immigration court, Baz-Bautista contends that, primarily based upon language in Pereira v. Sessions , the immigration court lacked jurisdiction to enter the June 3, 2010 removal order, because the notice to appear given to Baz-Bautista on May 6, 2010, was statutorily deficient-the notice failed to include a time at which the removal proceedings would be held.
Baz-Bautista's contention is not novel. Illegal-reentry defendants around the country, relying on language in Pereira v. Sessions , have filed similar motions to dismiss the Government's charges against them. The motions usually raise the same two contentions and similarly argue that based on a statutorily-deficient notice to appear, which fails to inform the defendant in writing of the scheduled time for the removal proceedings, the immigration court entering the initial removal order lacked jurisdiction to issue such an order. Thus, the initial removal order is void, and the subsequent indictment for illegal reentry must be dismissed. Courts presented with this issue have not spoken with one voice.
The Pereira Court considered a similar statutorily-deficient notice to appear, but not in the context of an attack on an initial removal order in an illegal-reentry prosecution. The Pereira Court was presented with a direct appeal from a Board of Immigration ruling and the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit regarding a noncitizen's request for cancellation of removal proceedings.
Noncitizens subject to removal proceedings may be eligible for cancellation of removal proceedings if they have been physically present in the United States for a continuous period of 10 years immediately preceding the date of the Government's request for removal. 8 U.S.C. § 1229b(b)(1)(A). Under this "stop-time rule,"
Pereira, a citizen of Brazil who had been present in the United States for several years, was served with a notice to appear stating that his removal proceeding would occur on a date and time "to be set." Pereira ,
Several years later, Pereira was arrested and his removal proceedings reopened.
The Court held that "[a] putative notice to appear that fails to designate the specific time or place of the noncitizen's removal proceedings is not a 'notice to appear under [ Section] 1229(a),' and so does not trigger the stop-time rule."
The parties now dispute how language in Pereira regarding a notice to appear applies in a context other than a direct appeal from an immigration-court ruling in cancellation-of-removal proceedings and the application of the stop-time rule. Issue is joined as to what effect, if any, Pereira 's language regarding notices to appear applies in illegal-reentry prosecutions where, as here, the underlying notice to appear provided to the noncitizen and filed with the immigration court fails to specify the time and date of the removal proceedings.
The primary argument that Baz-Bautista advances is that the immigration judge lacked jurisdiction to enter the underlying June 3, 2010 removal order, because the statutorily deficient notice to appear prevented jurisdiction from ever vesting in the immigration court. Baz-Bautista contends that "removal proceedings commence," and jurisdiction vests, in the immigration court only upon the filing of a notice to appear that complies with Section 1229(a) and Pereira -that is, a notice to appear that includes time-and-place information for removal proceedings.
This court recognizes the Supreme Court's holding in Pereira -in the context of the stop-time rule-that a "notice to appear that fails to designate the specific time or place of the noncitizen's removal proceedings is not a 'notice to appear under [ Section] 1229(a),' and so does not trigger the stop-time rule."
The court respectfully disagrees with district courts that have determined in the context of a criminal prosecution for illegal reentry that a statutorily defective notice to appear-one that lacks the time and date of removal proceedings-renders an immigration court without jurisdiction to conduct removal proceedings and issue an order of removal.
"Characterizing a rule as jurisdictional renders it unique in our adversarial system," and the Supreme Court has cautioned *594against "profligate use of the label 'jurisdictional.' " Sebelius v. Auburn Reg'l Med. Ctr. ,
Moreover, courts should not reflexively extend to agencies the "very real division between the jurisdictional and nonjurisdictional that is applicable to courts." City of Arlington, Tex. v. Federal Commc'n Comm'n ,
[t]hat is not so for agencies charged with administering congressional statutes. Both their power to act and how they are to act is authoritatively prescribed by Congress, so that when they act improperly, no less than when they act beyond their jurisdiction, what they do is ultra vires. Because the question-whether framed as an incorrect application of agency authority or an assertion of authority not conferred-is always whether the agency has gone beyond what Congress has permitted it to do, there is no principled basis for carving out some arbitrary subset of such claims as "jurisdictional."
Like other non-Article III bodies, immigration judges derive their authority from Congress. Proceedings to remove certain noncitizens are governed by Title 8 of the United States Code, Sections 1229 and 1229a. See
[W]ritten notice (in this section referred to as a "notice to appear") shall be given in person to the alien (or, if personal service is not practicable, through service by mail to the alien or to the alien's counsel of record, if any) specifying the following:
(A) The nature of the proceedings against the alien.
(B) The legal authority under which the proceedings are conducted.
*595(C) The acts or conduct alleged to be in violation of law.
(D) The charges against the alien and the statutory provisions alleged to have been violated.
(E) The alien may be represented by counsel and the alien will be provided (i) a period of time to secure counsel under subsection (b)(1) and (ii) a current list of counsel prepared under subsection (b)(2).
(F)(i) The requirement that the alien must immediately provide (or have provided) the Attorney General with a written record of an address and telephone number (if any) at which the alien may be contacted respecting proceedings under section 1229a of this title.
(ii) The requirement that the alien must provide the Attorney General immediately with a written record of any change of the alien's address or telephone number.
(iii) The consequences under section 1229a(b)(5) of this title of failure to provide address and telephone information pursuant to this subparagraph.
(G)(i)The time and place at which the proceedings will be held.
(ii) The consequences under section 1229a(b)(5) of this title of the failure, except under exceptional circumstances, to appear at such proceedings.
The statutory provisions governing removal proceedings do not reference jurisdiction. Additionally, nothing in Section 1229"clearly states" that a notice to appear impacts an immigration judge's underlying authority to conduct removal proceedings. Arbaugh ,
This court concludes there is no jurisdictional issue in this case. The basis for this conclusion is the court's finding of an absence of a clear statement by Congress that strict compliance with the 1229(a) provisions for a notice to appear is jurisdictional or that such strict compliance has any impact on the immigration court's power to conduct removal proceedings. The court further finds no statutory language providing that giving a noncitizen a statutorily-defective notice to appear compels the automatic dismissal of charges in a later criminal prosecution for illegal reentry.
Baz-Bautista weaves together notice-to-appear requirements under Section 1229(a), Pereira's application of the statutory notice-to-appear provision in the context of a request for cancellation of removal proceedings and application of the stop-time rule, and agency regulations-particularly the agency regulation that expressly references the jurisdiction of the immigration court-to argue that absent a statutorily compliant notice to appear, the immigration court lacks any power to proceed with removal proceedings.
The court concludes that Baz-Bautista's argument that the immigration *596court lacked jurisdiction to render the June 3, 2010 removal order is without merit. The record reflects that under the applicable regulations, the notice to appear was properly filed with the immigration court; therefore, the immigration court acted within its agency power in conducting removal proceedings.
Other courts addressing similar motions in illegal-reentry prosecutions have determined that based on the language in Pereira , the provisions of Section 1229 are definitional; therefore, absent strict compliance, an immigration court lacks jurisdiction or power to conduct removal proceedings, and any removal order so rendered was void.
Congress expressly provides Baz-Bautista with the opportunity to raise due-process claims and collaterally attack the June 3, 2010 removal order by way of Section 1326(d).
b. Collateral attack on underlying removal order, Section 1326(d)
Baz-Bautista's second argument raises a collateral attack on the June 3, 2010 removal order under Section 1326(d). A defendant charged with illegal reentry in violation of Section 1326 has a due-process right to challenge the removal order upon which the charge is predicated in the criminal proceeding before the district court. See Mendoza-Lopez ,
The Fifth Circuit regards the test as "effectively codified" in Section 1326(d). Benitez -Villafuerte ,
Section 1326(d) provides:
*597In a criminal proceeding under this section, an alien may not challenge the validity of the deportation order described in subsection (a)(1) or subsection (b) unless the alien demonstrates that-
(1) the alien exhausted any administrative remedies that may have been available to seek relief against the order;
(2) the deportation proceedings at which the order was issued improperly deprived the alien of the opportunity for judicial review; and
(3) the entry of the order was fundamentally unfair.
Section 1326(d) is categorical: it states that a noncitizen "may not challenge the validity of the deportation order ... unless" he can satisfy the requirements of subsection d. Further, Section 1326(a) prosecution is not limited to those cases in which the underlying removal was "lawful." See Mendoza-Lopez ,
Following a review of the record, the court concludes that Baz-Bautista fails to satisfy any of the requirements of Section 1326(d). As more specifically addressed below, the court finds that Baz-Bautista was not deprived of the opportunity for judicial review, did not exhaust his administrative remedies, and did not suffer "actual prejudice" as defined by the Fifth Circuit. See Benitez-Villafuerte ,
1. Exhaustion of administrative remedies
Baz-Bautista contends that he was not required to exhaust his administrative remedies because the remedies are "inadequate, inefficacious, or futile ... or [ ] the administrative proceedings themselves are void." The general rule is that a court may not excuse administrative exhaustion when it is required by statue. See McCarthy v. Madigan ,
Baz-Bautista does not argue that the Board of Immigration Appeals or the Fifth Circuit lacked the power or authority to determine that his notice to appear was deficient, and it is unlikely that either would have concluded that his notice to appear was deficient under controlling precedent at the time. See Matter of Camarillo ,
*5982. Opportunity for judicial review
Although the Fifth Circuit has not determined the precise contours of when a removal proceeding "deprives" a defendant of "the opportunity for judicial review" to challenge defects in the proceeding, the Supreme Court has determined that a noncitizen was denied judicial review because the immigration judge "permitted waivers of the right to appeal that were not the result of considered judgments ... and failed to advise [them] properly of their eligibility to apply for suspension of deportation." Mendoza-Lopez ,
Baz-Bautista does not argue that he was deprived of judicial review. Instead, Baz-Bautista argues that because the proceedings were void ab initio , he was "certainly deprived [ ] of judicial review." Baz-Bautista provides no supporting authority for this assertion, however, and in the absence of such authority, this court will not set aside the statutory requirement that the noncitizen be deprived of the opportunity for judicial review. See
The court finds that Baz-Bautista fails to show that he was deprived of the opportunity for judicial review. The order of removal indicates that Baz-Bautista waived his right to appeal the order, and Baz-Bautista did not, in fact, appeal the order. As such, the court concludes that Baz-Bautista did not meet his burden in showing that the defective notice to appear deprived him of judicial review required by Section 1326(d)(2).
3. Fundamental unfairness and actual prejudice
Baz-Bautista must also show that the entry of his removal order was "fundamentally unfair."
"For more than a century the central meaning of procedural due process has been clear: 'Parties whose rights are to be affected are entitled to be heard; and in order that they may enjoy that right they must first be notified.' " Fuentes v. Shevin ,
Baz-Bautista argues only that the removal order is fundamentally unfair because it was rendered by an immigration court lacking jurisdiction to remove him, an argument this court expressly rejects. Under the facts of this case, it is undisputed that the notice to appear delivered to Baz-Bautista does not comply with Section 1229(a) because it does not include time-and-place information required by the statute. Although there is no evidence that Baz-Bautista received actual notice or a written notice of the time and place of the removal hearing, he concedes that he was present at his removal hearing. The court concludes that Baz-Bautista was not deprived of the opportunity to be heard at a meaningful time and in a meaningful manner. The Certificate of Service for the Notice to Appear states that "[Baz-Bautista] was provided oral notice in the Spanish language of the time and place of his ... hearing." Removal proceedings took place on or about June 3, 2010, and "upon the basis of respondent's admissions" an immigration judge ordered Baz-Bautista's removal by order dated June 3, 2010, stating that Baz-Bautista waived his right to appeal and was personally served with a copy of the order on June 3, 2010. Although the Government may have, at the outset, violated Section 1229(a), the court concludes that the noncompliance does not rise to the level of a due-process violation that rendered the proceedings fundamentally unfair.
Moreover, Baz-Bautista cannot show that he was actually prejudiced by the deficient notice to appear. To prove actual prejudice, Baz-Bautista must show that " 'there was a reasonable likelihood that but for the errors complained of the defendant would not have been deported.' " Lopez-Vasquez ,
IV. CONCLUSION
Having concluded that Baz-Bautista's argument that the immigration court lacked jurisdiction to render its June 3, 2010 removal order is without merit, and that Baz-Bautista has failed to meet any of the requirements of Section 1326(d) of Title 8 of the United States Code,
IT IS ORDERED that Defendant's Motion to Dismiss filed November 8, 2018 (Dkt. No. 19) is DENIED.
The court presumes that time requires the inclusion of a date. See
A noncitizen requesting that an immigration court cancel removal proceedings must show, inter alia , continuous presence in the United States for ten years. See 8 U.S.C. § 1229b(b)(A). If the noncitizen is "served a notice to appear under section 1229(a)" initiating removal proceedings, then the noncitizen's continuous presence in the United States is stopped as of the date the Section 1229(a) notice is served to the noncitizen. See
Several courts, including courts in this district and division, have concluded that a statutorily deficient notice to appear does not vest an immigration judge with jurisdiction and dismissed the indictment without a Section 1326(d) analysis. See e.g., United States v. Santiago Tzul ,
See supra note 2.
The only explicit reference to jurisdiction appears in this agency regulation and not a statute passed by Congress.
See United States v. Santiago Tzul ,
Section 1326 does not expressly require a showing of "actual prejudice." Although this court is bound by the Fifth Circuit's interpretation of Section 1326, the court will preserve for further review whether Baz-Bautista must show actual prejudice.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- United States v. Urbano BAZ-BAUTISTA
- Status
- Published