Jose Emilio Ulloa Francisco v. U.S. Attorney General
Opinion
*1123
The Armed Career Criminal Act ("ACCA") provides that a person convicted of violating
This same presumption applies in proceedings brought by the Attorney General ("AG") under the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA") to remove an alien from the United States on the ground that the alien, after admission into the country, had been convicted of an offense designated in the INA.
See
INA § 237(a)(2);
*1124
Moncrieffe v. Holder
,
In the case before us, the AG proved that the alien, a lawful permanent resident, was removable for having been convicted of a felony related to drug trafficking. INA § 237(a)(2)(B)(i),
The state statute under which the alien had been convicted created the felony of "trafficking in cocaine," which was defined to include the selling, purchasing, manufacturing, delivering, or possessing of cocaine, or the bringing of cocaine into Florida.
The Board of Immigration Appeals ("BIA") agreed that the state statute created separate crimes, some of which were aggravated felonies and some of which were not. It then rejected the alien's argument-holding that he had the burden to prove that his conviction was not for an aggravated felony-and denied his application for cancellation of removal. The alien now petitions us to review the BIA's decision. A recent decision of this Court binds us to hold that the alien did not commit an aggravated felony because the state statute under which he was convicted is neither divisible nor has a categorical match in the Controlled Substance Act ("CSA").
See
Cintron v. U.S. Attorney Gen.
, No. 15-12344,
*1125 I.
The INA authorizes the AG to remove from the United States any alien who, at any time after admission, was convicted of certain felonies, including the violation of a law "relating to a controlled substance" and the commission of an "aggravated felony." INA § 237(a)(2)(A)(iii), (a)(2)(B)(i);
If an immigration court issues an order of removal, a permanent resident may petition the AG to cancel the removal. INA § 240A(a); 8 U.S.C. § 1229b(a). The AG may exercise his discretion to grant such relief if the alien satisfies three requirements, one being that the alien "has not been convicted of any aggravated felony."
6
INA § 240A(a)(3); 8 U.S.C. § 1229b(a)(3). The alien has the burden both to establish these "eligibility requirements" and to show that he or she "merits a favorable exercise of discretion,"
7
INA § 240(c)(4)(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(c)(4)(A), by a "preponderance of the evidence,"
The INA defines the term "aggravated felony" in a seemingly interminable list of offenses.
See
INA § 101(a)(43);
*1126
The Supreme Court has constructed a framework-with roots in both immigration and criminal law-to determine when a state crime constitutes an aggravated felony.
See
Mellouli v. Lynch
, 575 U.S. ----,
A.
The categorical approach is used to decide whether the alien's state conviction is of an offense "comparable to an offense listed in the INA."
Moncrieffe
,
The Supreme Court developed the categorical approach to promote efficiency in removal proceedings by prohibiting the relitigation of "past convictions in minitrials conducted long after the fact."
Moncrieffe
,
B.
The Supreme Court has modified the categorical approach where the criminal statute is "a so-called 'divisible statute.' "
Descamps
,
Thus, if a statutory offense merely lists alternative means to commit an element of a single crime, a court must perform the categorical analysis and "ask only whether the
elements
of the state crime and generic offense make the requisite match."
14
*1128
If a statute is determined to be divisible after this analysis, the Government may present "a limited class of documents" to establish the offense the alien committed and therefore the ground for removal.
Spaho v. U.S. Attorney Gen.
,
After the Government has presented these items and established the crime the alien committed, the court must "do what the categorical approach demands: compare the elements of the crime of conviction (including the alternative element used in the case) with the elements of the generic crime."
15
Descamps
,
II.
Jose Emilio Ulloa Francisco is a native and citizen of the Dominican Republic. He was admitted into the United States as a permanent resident on October 5, 1997.
On January 13, 2010, Francisco was arrested by the North Miami Beach Police Department in a sting operation after he gave an undercover police officer $30,000 as partial payment for ten kilograms of cocaine at a price of $21,000 per kilogram.
16
Four weeks later, on February 3, the Assistant State Attorney of Miami-Dade County filed a two-count Information in the Miami-Dade County Circuit Court charging Francisco with drug trafficking. Count 1 alleged that Francisco violated
On September 13, 2012, the Government served Francisco with a Notice to Appear ("NTA"). Based on his conviction on Count 1 of the Information, the NTA alleged that Francisco was removable under INA § 237(a)(2)(A)(iii),
A hearing on the removal charge was scheduled to come before an immigration judge ("IJ") on February 27, 2013. The hearing, however, was rescheduled for April 24, 2013. During the hearing in April, Francisco's attorney challenged the NTA charge, contending that Francisco's Count 1 conviction did not meet the INA definition of an aggravated felony. The IJ ordered *1130 the parties to brief the issue and scheduled a hearing to resolve it for August 28, 2013.
In the August hearing, the IJ, after considering the parties' briefs and arguments, decided that the Count 1 conviction constituted a drug trafficking crime, and therefore an aggravated felony, because it was comparable to an offense in INA § 101(a)(43)(B),
On November 27, the IJ rendered her decision from the bench in open court. The IJ reiterated the conclusion she had reached in August that the Count 1 conviction was a drug trafficking crime and therefore an aggravated felony. She held that Francisco was ineligible for cancellation of removal for that reason. The IJ also ruled that Francisco was "ineligible to seek political asylum or withholding of removal" under the CAT.
Francisco appealed the IJ's decision to the BIA on December 20, 2013. He argued that his conviction could not amount to an aggravated felony because
The BIA vacated the IJ's decision on April 28, 2014. It did so after concluding that
On June 20, 2014, the Government amended the NTA to assert an additional ground of removability against Francisco. The amendment alleged that Francisco was removable for violating a "law or regulation of a State ... relating to a controlled substance," INA § 237(a)(2)(B)(i),
The IJ responded to the BIA's remand on July 2, 2014. She ignored the BIA's instruction to apply the modified categorical approach in determining whether Francisco had been convicted of a crime with an analogue in the INA's definition of "aggravated felony." She instead applied the categorical approach once more. This time, however, the IJ concluded that Francisco's conviction under
Applying that approach, the IJ observed that
In arriving at her July 2, 2014 decision, the IJ did not consider the Government's June 20, 2014 amendment to the NTA, which alleged an alternative ground of removability-namely that Francisco was removable for violating a "law or regulation of a State ... relating to a controlled substance." INA § 237(a)(2)(B)(i);
On December 18, 2014, Francisco's attorney filed on Francisco's behalf an Application for Cancellation of Removal for Certain Permanent Residents. In the application, *1132 Francisco disclosed his convictions on Counts 1 and 2 of the Information, but stated that he "ha[d] not been convicted of an aggravated felony." On January 13, 2015, Francisco signed the application in Orlando, before the IJ and under oath prior to the commencement of the removal hearing scheduled for that day.
The purpose of the hearing on January 13 was to determine whether Francisco was removable on the NTA's alternative ground and, if so, whether his application for cancellation of removal should be granted. The IJ agreed with the Government that Francisco's conviction under
In an effort to prove that the conviction was not an aggravated felony, Francisco testified. The following is the gist of his testimony. Jeson Rosa, whom Francisco had known as a "friend" for seventeen years, introduced him to a "guy" and said, "I want you to do this for me." When Francisco asked what it was, Rosa said that he wanted Francisco to purchase a "packet" and "deliver" it to the man he had just met. Rosa gave Francisco $30,000, the amount needed for the purchase, and the man, whom Francisco soon discovered was an undercover police officer, drove him to "a warehouse." They went inside the warehouse office, where "[t]hey showed [him] a pack of cocaine." Francisco gave them the $30,000. He was immediately arrested.
The arresting officers asked him if he "wanted to [cooperate], work with them." Francisco felt "nervous" and "called Jeson Rosa for them but [Rosa] never appeared." 27 When the arresting officers asked Francisco if he knew what he was doing when he gave them $30,000 for the package, he responded: "You know, I ha[d] an idea what I was doing." He was attempting to purchase a large amount of cocaine.
Nevertheless, the IJ applied the modified categorical approach and invoked the
Moncrieffe
presumption to conclude that Francisco had been convicted of mere possession of cocaine,
28
the least serious conduct criminalized by
The Government appealed the IJ's decision to the BIA. In its brief, it asserted two grounds for reversal. The first ground was that Francisco failed to prove his eligibility for cancellation of removal by establishing that his conviction under
The Government's second ground for reversal was that the IJ abused his discretion in finding that Francisco merited relief given the seriousness of the conduct for which he had been convicted.
In his brief, Francisco conceded that he was removable for having been convicted for violating a law relating to a controlled substance offense. He also conceded that
On June 18, 2015, the BIA overturned the IJ's decision and reinstated the removal finding. Once again, the BIA found that the modified categorical approach applies to
III.
Throughout this litigation, the parties and the BIA have agreed that the modified categorical approach applies to
SO ORDERED.
The Government is limited to "the terms of the charging document, the terms of a plea agreement or transcript of colloquy between judge and defendant in which the factual basis for the plea was confirmed by the defendant, or to some comparable judicial record of this information."
Shepard
,
This is so even though the defendant as a matter of fact was convicted of a crime that did qualify as a violent felony.
The INA expressly permits the Government to use an enumerated set of documents:
[A]ny of the following documents or records (or a certified copy of such an official document or record) shall constitute proof of a criminal conviction:
(i) An official record of judgment and conviction.
(ii) An official record of plea, verdict, and sentence.
(iii) A docket entry from court records that indicates the existence of the conviction.
(iv) Official minutes of a court proceeding or a transcript of a court hearing in which the court takes notice of the existence of the conviction.
(v) An abstract of a record of conviction prepared by the court in which the conviction was entered, or by a State official associated with the State's repository of criminal justice records, that indicates the charge or section of law violated, the disposition of the case, the existence and date of conviction, and the sentence.
(vi) Any document or record prepared by, or under the direction of, the court in which the conviction was entered that indicates the existence of a conviction.
(vii) Any document or record attesting to the conviction that is maintained by an official of a State or Federal penal institution, which is the basis for that institution's authority to assume custody of the individual named in the record.
INA § 240(c)(3)(B); 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(c)(3)(B). Shepard evidence encompasses all of these items since they are judicially noticeable. See supra note 2.
The INA states:
In the proceeding the [Government] has the burden of establishing by clear and convincing evidence that, in the case of an alien who has been admitted to the United States, the alien is deportable. No decision on deportability shall be valid unless it is based upon reasonable, substantial, and probative evidence.
INA § 240(c)(3)(A); 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(c)(3)(A).
The INA states:
The Attorney General may cancel removal in the case of an alien who is inadmissible or deportable from the United States if the alien-
(1) has been an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence for not less than 5 years,
(2) has resided in the United States continuously for 7 years after having been admitted in any status, and
(3) has not been convicted of any aggravated felony.
INA § 240A(a)(1)-(3); 8 U.S.C. § 1229b(a)(1)-(3).
The INA states:
An alien applying for relief or protection from removal has the burden of proof to establish that the alien-
(i) satisfies the applicable eligibility requirements; and
(ii) with respect to any form of relief that is granted in the exercise of discretion, that the alien merits a favorable exercise of discretion.
INA § 240(c)(4)(A); 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(c)(4)(A).
The regulation states:
Relief from removal. The respondent shall have the burden of establishing that he or she is eligible for any requested benefit or privilege and that it should be granted in the exercise of discretion. If the evidence indicates that one or more of the grounds for mandatory denial of the application for relief may apply, the alien shall have the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that such grounds do not apply.
The INA defines the term "aggravated felony" as "illicit trafficking in a controlled substance (as defined in section 802 of Title 21), including a drug trafficking crime (as defined in section 924(c) of Title 18 )." INA 101(a)(43)(B);
The BIA has defined "illicit trafficking in a controlled substance."
See
Matter of Davis
,
The BIA takes "[t]rafficking" to mean "[t]rading or dealing in certain goods."
Id.
(quotation omitted). It has stated that trafficking is a term "commonly used in connection with illegal narcotic sales."
The BIA therefore defined "illicit trafficking in a controlled substance" to be "unlawful trading or dealing of any controlled substance as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act."
The framework also applies to cases in which the Government seeks the removal of an alien under INA § 237(a)(2)(B)(i),
The question is whether "the state offense is comparable to an offense listed in the INA."
Moncrieffe
,
Where the alien's conviction does not indicate which of the offenses the alien committed-an offense that has an aggravated felony analogue or one that does not-the immigration court's decision turns on the probative value of the Government's Shepard evidence. It thus requires findings of fact. The goal of this fact finding is to determine whether the alien was convicted of an offense that has a federal analogue.
The Court defined elements as "constituent parts of a crime's legal definition-the things the prosecution must prove to sustain a conviction."
Mathis
, 579 U.S. ----,
The reason for this rule is that when a list "merely specifies diverse means of satisfying a single element of a single crime-or otherwise said, spells out various factual ways of committing some component of the offense-a jury need not find (or a defendant admit) any particular item."
If the elements match, it is "presume[d] that the conviction 'rested upon nothing more than the least of the acts' criminalized."
Moncrieffe
,
The affidavit the arresting officer filed in support of a Complaint issued on the same day described the circumstances of Francisco's arrest.
[On January 13, 2010, at 3:10 PM], the defendant Jose Ulloa [Francisco] and an unknown co-defendant met with an undercover agent of the [North Miami Beach Police Department] to negotiate a cocaine deal. Ulloa & the co-defendant negotiated to purchase ten kilograms of cocaine for $21,000 per kilogram. At approximately 1510 hours, Ulloa arrived at the Pep Boys Parking lot, [295 N.E. 167th St. in North Miami Beach,] and showed the agent a large amount of U.S. currency. Ulloa responded to the NMBPD undercover location and gave the agent $30,000 in U.S. currency as a down payment for cocaine. Ulloa was placed under arrest for trafficking in cocaine. The total weight of kilogram including packaging was approximately 1027.4 grams. Ulloa was transported to NMBPD/DCJ for processing.
The two counts read as follows:
Count 1
JOSE E. FRANCISCO ULLOA, on or about January 13, 2010, in the County and State aforesaid, did unlawfully sell, purchase, manufacture, deliver, or bring into this state, or was knowingly in actual or constructive possession of cocaine, as described in s. 893.03(2)(a)4, Florida Statutes, or any mixture containing cocaine, in the amount of four-hundred (400) grams or more, but less than one-hundred and fifty (150) kilograms of cocaine, or any mixture containing cocaine, in violation of s. 893.135(1)(b)1.c, Fla. Stat., contrary to the form of the Statute in such cases made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Florida.
Count 2
And the aforesaid Assistant State Attorney, under oath, further information makes JOSE E. FRANCISCO ULLOA, on or about January 13, 2010, in the County and State aforesaid, did unlawfully and feloniously agree, conspire, combine or confederate with another person or persons, to wit: VICTOR, to commit a felony under the laws of the State of Florida, to wit: unlawful Trafficking in Cocaine, or any mixture containing cocaine, as described in s. 893.135(5) and s. 777.04(3) and s. 777.011, Fla. Stat., contrary to the form of the Statute in such cases made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Florida.
Any person who knowingly sells, purchases, manufactures, delivers, or brings into this state, or who is knowingly in actual or constructive possession of, 28 grams or more of cocaine, ... but less than 150 kilograms of cocaine ... commits a felony of the first degree, which felony shall be known as "trafficking in cocaine".... If the quantity involved ... [i]s 400 grams or more, but less than 150 kilograms, such person shall be sentenced to a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 calendar years and pay a fine of $250,000.
It is a first degree felony under
Whoever commits any criminal offense against the state, whether felony or misdemeanor, or aids, abets, counsels, hires, or otherwise procures such offense to be committed, and such offense is committed or is attempted to be committed, is a principal in the first degree and may be charged, convicted, and punished as such, whether he or she is or is not actually or constructively present at the commission of such offense.
As indicated in note 17, supra , Francisco faced on each of Counts 1 and 2 a mandatory minimum prison sentence of fifteen years, and a maximum sentence of sixty years. Florida's Sentencing Guidelines called for a minimum sentence of eleven years. The State waived the fifteen-year mandatory minimum, however, so the Guideline minimum of eleven years took effect. The Court then departed downward from that minimum and imposed a prison term of three years. We assume the Court imposed that sentence because the plea agreement recommended it.
The INA states: "Any alien who is convicted of an aggravated felony at any time after admission is deportable." INA § 237(a)(2)(A)(iii);
See supra note 9.
The IJ reasoned that "[
See
The INA states:
Any alien who at any time after admission has been convicted of a violation of (or a conspiracy or attempt to violate) any law or regulation of a State, the United States, or a foreign country relating to a controlled substance (as defined in section 802 of Title 21), other than a single offense involving possession for one's own use of 30 grams or less of marijuana, is deportable.
INA § 237(a)(2)(B)(i);
This statute prohibits a person from "sell[ing], manufactur[ing], or deliver[ing], or possess[ing] with intent to sell, manufacture, or deliver, a controlled substance."
Section 841(a) states:
Except as authorized by this subchapter, it shall be unlawful for any person knowingly or intentionally-
(1) to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, or possess with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, a controlled substance; or
(2) to create, distribute, or dispense, or possess with intent to distribute or dispense, a counterfeit substance.
On July 14, 2014, the Government moved the BIA to change the venue to Orlando, Florida and to remand the case for consideration of its alternate ground for removal.
The undercover officer was identified (but not by name) in the affidavit the arresting officer executed for the issuance of the Complaint. See supra note 16.
Without stating as much, the IJ saddled the Government with the burden of proof on the issue of cancellation of removal.
Mere possession of cocaine is not an aggravated felony. See Lopez , 549 U.S. at 60, 127 S.Ct. at 633.
In finding Francisco eligible for cancellation of removal, the IJ did not directly address on the record or in his oral decision whether Francisco established the first two requirements for relief, which relate to his residence. See supra note 6. However, in the hearing on January 13, Francisco testified that he received a "green card" in "October, 1997" and has lived in the United States "[s]ince that time." In the oral decision, the IJ found that Francisco "is a lawful permanent resident who has been admitted back since October 5, 1997."
The IJ did not elaborate on these "equities" and "representations."
In referring to the "record," Francisco was apparently referring to the judgment, including the sentences, the Circuit Court entered after he pled guilty to Counts 1 and 2 of the Information, and not to the testimony he gave at the January 13, 2015 removal hearing.
Implicit in Francisco's argument was the proposition that the IJ, and the BIA on review, were precluded from considering his testimony that he accompanied the undercover agent to the warehouse for the purpose of purchasing cocaine.
The BIA distinguished our decision in
Donawa
on the ground that
Although we lack jurisdiction to review a judgment granting or denying discretionary relief from a removal order, such as cancellation of removal, INA § 242(a)(2)(B)(i),
In pertinent part,
(b) 1. Any person who knowingly sells, purchases, manufactures, delivers, or brings into this state, or who is knowingly in actual or constructive possession of, 28 grams or more of cocaine, as described in s. 893.03(2)(a) 4., or of any mixture containing cocaine, but less than 150 kilograms of cocaine or any such mixture, commits a felony of the first degree, which felony shall be known as "trafficking in cocaine," punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084....
(c) 1. A person who knowingly sells, purchases, manufactures, delivers, or brings into this state, or who is knowingly in actual or constructive possession of, 4 grams or more of any morphine, opium, hydromorphone, or any salt, derivative, isomer, or salt of an isomer thereof, including heroin, ... or 4 grams or more of any mixture containing any such substance, but less than 30 kilograms of such substance or mixture, commits a felony of the first degree, which felony shall be known as "trafficking in illegal drugs," punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
Since we consider Fla. Stat. 893.135(1)(b) 1.c to be an indivisible statute that lacks a categorical match in the CSA, we do not reach the issue of whether the
Moncrieffe
presumption applies in determining an alien's eligibility for cancellation of removal when the
Shepard
documents are inconclusive as to which crime the alien committed in a divisible statute. The circuits have split on this issue.
See
Le v. Lynch
,
In appealing the IJ's January 13, 2015 decision, the Government argued, as second ground for reversal, that in light of the conduct that led to Francisco's convictions of conspiring to violate and violating
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Jose Emilio Ulloa FRANCISCO, Petitioner, v. U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL, Respondent.
- Cited By
- 10 cases
- Status
- Published