Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_06-cv-04820/USCOURTS-cand-5_06-cv-04820-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 8:1446 Petition for Naturalization Hearing

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

Irina Astafieva,

Plaintiff,

 v.

Alberto Gonzales, et al.,

Defendants.

 /

NO. C 06-04820 JW 

ORDER STAYING ACTION FOR SIXTY

DAYS PENDING DEFENDANTS'

COMPLETION OF A BACKGROUND

INVESTIGATION ON PLAINTIFF

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff Irina Astafieva ("Plaintiff") filed this action pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1447(b) for a

declaratory judgment that she is entitled to be naturalized. On November 22, 2006, the Court

granted Plaintiff's petition for a hearing on her naturalization application and directed the parties to

submit briefing by January 8, 2007. Presently before the Court are the parties' responses to the

Court's November 22, 2006 Order. The Court found it appropriate to take the matter under

submission without oral arguments. See Civ. L.R 7-1(b). Based on the papers submitted to date, the

Court STAYS this action for sixty days to allow Defendants time to complete required background

checks on Plaintiff. 

II. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff is a lawful permanent resident of the United States who filed an application for

naturalization with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") on September

6, 2003. (Declaration of Ila C. Deiss in Support of Defendants' Pre-Hearing Memorandum of Law

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For the Northern District of California

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and Request for Remand with Instructions ¶ 2, Ex. A, hereafter, "Deiss Decl.," Docket Item No. 24.) 

On October 3, 2003, USCIS submitted a "name check" request for Plaintiff's name to the National

Name Check Program Section of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"). (Declaration of

Michael A. Cannon ¶ 21, hereafter, "Cannon Decl.," Docket Item No. 25.) On May 6, 2004,

Plaintiff attended a naturalization interview at USCIS' San Jose office. (Plaintiff's Memorandum to

the Court, Ex. A, hereafter, "Plaintiff's Response," Docket Item No. 22.) She passed the English

language proficiency test and demonstrated her knowledge of United States history and government. 

Id. However, USCIS informed Plaintiff that it could not complete the processing of her application

until the FBI finished conducting her background check. Id. As of January 2007, the FBI has not

completed Plaintiff's background check, nor has it provided an estimated date of completion. 

(Cannon Decl. ¶ 21; Plaintiff's Response at 3.)

III. STANDARDS

A lawful permanent resident alien is eligible for naturalization as a United States citizen if

she (1) satisfies a five-year statutory residency requirement; (2) has resided continuously in the

United States from the date of her application to the time of her admission as a citizen; and (3) is of

good moral character. 8 U.S.C. § 1427(a). The applicant first files a Form K-400 application for

naturalization. 8 U.S.C. § 1445(a); 8 C.F.R. §§ 334.2, 316.4. USCIS then conducts a background

investigation of the applicant, including a review of immigration and police records. 8 U.S.C. §

1446(a); 8 C.F.R. § 335.1. Lastly, the applicant is interviewed by an examiner who is authorized to

grant or deny the application. 8 U.S.C. § 1446(d); 8 C.F.R. § 335.3. 

In 1997, Congress began to require a criminal background investigation of all applicants for

naturalization:

During fiscal year 1998 and each fiscal year thereafter, none of the funds

appropriated or otherwise made available to the Immigration and Naturalization

Service shall be used to complete adjudication of an application for naturalization

unless the Immigration and Naturalization Service has received confirmation from the

Federal Bureau of Investigation that a full criminal background check has been

completed, except for those exempted by regulation as of January 1, 1997.

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P.L. 105-119, Title I, Nov. 26, 1997, 111 Stat. 2448. In response, USCIS adopted a regulation

requiring that an initial examination on an applicant's naturalization application occur only after

USCIS has received a definitive response from the FBI that a full criminal background check of the

applicant has been completed. 8 C.F.R. § 335.2(b).

IV. DISCUSSION

A. Jurisdiction

USCIS must make a determination on a naturalization application pursuant to 8 U.S.C. §

1446 within 120 days after it conducts a naturalization examination. 8 U.S.C. § 1447(b). If it fails

to do so, the applicant may apply to the federal district court for the district in which the applicant

resides for a hearing on the matter. Id. The district court assumes jurisdiction over the matter and

may either determine the matter or remand it, with appropriate instructions, to USCIS. Id.; see, e.g.

El-Daour v. Chertoff, 417 F. Supp. 2d 679, 681-83 (W.D. Pa. 2005). 

Plaintiff's examination occurred on May 6, 2004. Thus, the 120 day statutory period for

USCIS to make a determination on her application expired in September 2004. Accordingly, the

Court has jurisdiction of this action.

B. Available Relief

Plaintiff contends that the Court should make a final determination on her application for

naturalization. (Plaintiff's Response at 4-6.) Defendants contend that the Court should remand the

case to USCIS with instructions to complete the processing of Plaintiff's application expeditiously

after receipt of the FBI's name check results. (Defendant's Pre-Hearing Memorandum of Law and

Request for Remand with Instructions at 6, hereafter, "Defendant's Response," Docket Item No. 23.)

Many federal district courts have recently faced cases in which a plaintiff has submitted a

petition for naturalization and has successfully completed a naturalization interview and passed all

tests. However, the plaintiff's application has been pending for years without approval due to

lengthy delays in the FBI's "name check" procedure. Given these facts, a majority of courts have

declined to make an immediate determination of the plaintiff's naturalization application. This is

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because Congress intended that an FBI background check should be completed prior to the

adjudication of each naturalization application, and the courts are "not equipped to conduct the kind

of investigation required to determine whether an applicant presents a risk to national security or

public safety." See Aslam v. Gonzales, No. C06-614MJP, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 91747, *6 (W.D.

Wash. Dec. 19, 2006); see also El-Daour, 417 F. Supp. 2d at 684; Essa v. U.S. Citizen &

Immigration Serv., No. 05-1449, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38803, *8 (D. Minn. Dec. 14, 2005);

Tyomkina v. Gonzalez, No. C06-1306JLR, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 80845, *3 (W.D. Wash. Nov. 6,

2006). 

In such cases, there are two competing interests: the government's interest in public safety

and national security, and the plaintiff's individual interest in having her naturalization application

adjudicated. A number of courts in this circuit have balanced the competing interests by staying the

plaintiff's action, or otherwise giving the government a specified number of days to complete the

FBI name check and grant or deny the plaintiff's application pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1446. If USCIS

has not taken final action on the plaintiff's application by the date specified by the court, the court

will take further action, including decision of plaintiff's naturalization application on the merits. 

See, e.g., Aslam, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 91747, *7-8; Tyomkina, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 80845, *5;

Ahmadi v. Chertoff, No. 06 CV-1808 W, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 78545, *3-4 (S.D. Cal. Oct. 13,

2006); Said v. Gonzalez, No. C 06-986 P, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67750, *10-11 (W.D. Wash. Sept.

21, 2006); Al-Kudsi v. Gonzalez, No. CV 05-1584 PK, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16761, *11-12 (D.

Or. Mar. 22, 2006).

In this case, Plaintiff's application has been pending for thirty-two months since her

naturalization interview was completed, and Defendants have provided no indication when action

might be taken on her application. (Plaintiff's Response, Ex. A.) Plaintiff's name check

investigation has been pending before the FBI for thirty-nine months. (Cannon Decl. ¶ 21.) Plaintiff

submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the FBI for all records concerning her in July

2006. (Plaintiff's Response, Ex. B.) In September 2006, the FBI provided partially redacted records

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to Plaintiff's counsel. Id. The records disclose no information that should prevent Plaintiff from

becoming a naturalized citizen. Id. Accordingly, the Court follows the precedent established by the

above-cited courts. 

V. CONCLUSION

The Court stays this action for sixty days to allow the government time to complete the FBI

name check. USCIS shall use all available means to expedite this process. The parties shall file a

joint status report by March 26, 2007. If the FBI has completed its name check, the Court will

remand this case to USCIS with instructions to make a determination on Plaintiff's naturalization

application pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1446. If the FBI has not completed its name check, Defendants

shall appear on Monday, April 2, 2007 at 9 AM to show cause why Plaintiff should not be

immediately naturalized.

Dated: January 11, 2007 

 JAMES WARE

 United States District Judge

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THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT COPIES OF THIS ORDER HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO:

Angela Dee Bortel abortel@youradvocate.net

Benjamin Cole Thurmond bthurmond@youradvocate.net

Christopher Anthony Kerosky ckerosky@youradwokat.com

Edward A. Olsen edward.olsen@usdoj.gov

Ila Casy Deiss ila.deiss@usdoj.gov

Dated: January 11, 2007 Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: /s/ JW Chambers 

Elizabeth Garcia

Courtroom Deputy

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