United States v. Nungaray-Rubalcaba
United States v. Nungaray-Rubalcaba
Opinion of the Court
MEMORANDUM
Joel Nicholas Nungaray-Rubalcaba appeals his conviction and sentence for illegal reentry in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We review de novo the denial of a motion to dismiss an 8 U.S.C. § 1326 indictment when the motion alleges due process defects in the underlying deportation proceeding. United States v. Camacho-Lopez, 450 F.3d 928, 929 (9th Cir. 2006).
We conclude that the district court erred in denying Nungaray-Rubalcaba’s motion to dismiss the indictment, because the underlying order of deportation was invalid. We therefore reverse the conviction and sentence without addressing Nungaray-Rubalcaba’s additional assignments of error.
Nungaray-Rubalcaba was improperly deprived of judicial review and denied due process in the underlying deportation proceeding, because his waiver of a hearing through a written stipulation for removal was not considered and intelligent. See United States v. Ubaldo-Figueroa, 364 F.3d 1042, 1048 (9th Cir. 2004). When he signed the waiver, the INS Special Agent “failed to inform him that he was eligible for a fast-track voluntary departure in lieu of removal, under 8 U.S.C. § 1229c(a).” Ortiz-Lopez, 385 F.3d at 1204; see also Ubaldo-Figueroa, 364 F.3d at 1049-50 (holding that the failure to inform an immigrant of possible eligibility for relief from removal is a denial of due process that invalidates the underlying deportation proceeding); United States v. Muro-Inclan, 249 F.3d 1180, 1182 (9th Cir. 2001) (holding that a waiver of appeal is invalid if the immigrant is not advised of possible eligibility for relief from deportation). The exhaustion and deprivation requirements in § 1326(d) are therefore satisfied. See Ortiz-Lopez, 385 F.3d at 1204.
To satisfy the final requirement, prejudice, a defendant “must only show that he had a plausible ground for relief from deportation.” Ubaldo-Figueroa, 364 F.3d at 1050 (internal quotation marks omitted). Here, Nungaray-Rubalcaba had a plausible claim for relief: pre-hearing voluntary departure under 8 U.S.C. § 1229c(a). Immigration Judges have “broad authority to grant [pre-hearing] voluntary departure,” In re Eloy Arguelles-Campos, 22 I. & N. Dec. 811, 820 (BIA 1999), and only two classes of immigrants are ineligible for such relief, “those involved in terrorism-related activity (not at issue here), and those ... convicted of an aggravated felony.” Ortiz-Lopez, 385 F.3d at 1204 n. 3 (internal quotation marks omitted).
Contrary to the Government’s arguments, neither of Nungaray-Rubalcaba’s two Idaho state law convictions for drug possession qualified as an aggravated felony at the time of his prior removal, August 26, 1999. Then and now, a drug conviction must be punishable as a felony under federal law to qualify as an aggravated felony for removal purposes. See Cazarez-Gutierrez v. Ashcroft, 382 F.3d 905, 919 (9th Cir. 2004); In re L-G-, 21 I. & N. Dec. 89, 95 (BIA 1995). Although no longer the law in this Circuit, in 1999, a second drug possession conviction could qualify as an aggravated felony under 21 U.S.C. § 844(a), see United States v. Garcia-Olmedo, 112 F.3d 399, 400 (9th Cir. 1997), overruling recognized by United States v. Ballesteros-Ruiz, 319 F.3d 1101, 1105-06 (9th Cir. 2003), but only if the first conviction had “become final” prior to the second conviction. See 21 U.S.C. § 844(a); United States v. Guzman-Colores, 959 F.2d 132, 133 (9th Cir. 1992). Here, Nungaray’s first conviction had not become final prior to his second conviction because, under Idaho law, his time to file a direct appeal of the first conviction had not expired. See State v. Jensen, 138 Idaho 941, 71 P.3d 1088, 1090-91 (2003) (citing Idaho Appellate Rule 14(a)).
Finally, because the Government has not argued that it can rebut Nungaray’s prima
Because the INS’s failure to inform Nungaray-Rubalcaba of his eligibility for pre-hearing voluntary departure violated his due process rights, and because this violation caused him prejudice, the underlying order of deportation cannot be used as an element of his conviction under § 1326. We therefore reverse his conviction.
REVERSED.
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Cir. R. 36-3.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- United States v. Joel Nicholas NUNGARAY-RUBALCABA
- Cited By
- 5 cases
- Status
- Published