Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_08-cv-00601/USCOURTS-azd-2_08-cv-00601-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 463
Nature of Suit: Habeas Corpus - Alien Detainee
Cause of Action: 28:2241 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (Federal)

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Alkawaa Mohanad, 

Petitioner, 

vs.

Michael B. Mukasey, Attorney General;

Michael Chertoff, Secretary of the

Department of Homeland Security; Katrina

Kane, ICE Field Office Director for the

Phoenix Field Office; David Kollus,

Warden of Immigration Detention Facility,

Respondents. 

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No. CIV 08-0601-PHX-PGR (DKD)

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

TO THE HONORABLE PAUL G. ROSENBLATT, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE:

Mohanad Alkawaa filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §

2241on March 27, 2008, alleging that immigration officials are holding him in detention

pending his removal to Palestine, but that his removal has not been effected. He argues that

he is entitled to immediate release from custody because his detention with no prospect that

his removal will be effected in the reasonably foreseeable future is not authorized by law.

See Zadvydas v. Davis, 533 U.S. 678 (2001). Respondents contend that Alkawaa has not met

his burden of showing that his removal will not be effected in the reasonably foreseeable

future. The Court agrees and recommends that his petition be denied.

Alkawaa entered the United States on January 8, 2004 as a nonimmigrant visitor for

pleasure (Doc. #10, Exh B). He administratively applied for asylum on April 22, 2004; on

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On December 6, 2007, Alkawaa was served with a Notice of Custody Review; in

response he provided information concerning possible employment and a place to live (Doc.

#10, Exh I, J). The Department sought clarification of this information; on January 29, upon

receipt of that information, the Department issued its decision to continue Alkawaa’s

detention (Id., Exh K, L, M).

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December 16, 2004, the asylum officer denied his application (Id.). On December 16, 2004,

the Department of Homeland Security (the Department) issued a Notice to Appear, alleging

that after Alkawaa’s admission as a nonimmigrant, he remained in the United States longer

than permitted without the authorization of the Attorney General (Doc. #10, Exh E) . On

April 20, 2006, Alkawaa submitted a second application for asylum and withholding of

removal (Id., Exh F). At an August 29, 2007 hearing, the immigration judge found the

asylum claim was frivolous and denied his applications for asylum and withholding of

removal (Id., Exh G). The immigration judge also denied Alkawaa’s request for voluntary

departure, and ordered him removed to Israel (Id.). Through counsel, Alkawaa waived

appeal and requested that he be removed as quickly as possible (Id., Exh H); he has remained

in detention.1

On October 18, 2007, the Department requested permission from the Israeli Consulate

for Alkawaa to re-enter the Palestinian Territories (Id., Exh N, O). Having received no

response by December 5, 2007, the Department sent a request to Headquarters, Immigration

and Customs Enforcement, Office of Field Operations requesting assistance in obtaining

travel documents from Israel (Id., Exh P). On December 7, 2007, the Department received

a request from the Consulate concerning the reasons for Alkawaa’s deportation, and the

details of any criminal record; the Department provided the information to the consulate on

December 11, 2007 (Id., Exh Q, R).

On December 24, 2007, Alkawaa sent a letter to David A Kollus, Assistant Field

Operations Director, Florence, Arizona, requesting his assistance in obtaining the necessary

travel documents (Id., Exh S). On January 8, 2008, Deportation Officer Bryan Gustafson

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contacted the Israeli Consulate and requested an update regarding Alkawaa’s re-entry permit.

He was advised that Alkawaa was still not cleared for his return to the Palestinian Territories

(Doc. #18, Exh 1). On January 10, 2008, Kollus informed Alkawaa that they were still

waiting for the travel documents from the Israeli Consulate (Doc. #10, Exh T). On January

22, 2008, Gustafson again contacted the Israeli Consulate for an update and was again

informed that Alkawaa was still not cleared (Doc. #18, Exh 1). 

On April 9, 2008, the Department received the travel permit from the Israeli Consulate

(Doc. #10, Exh U). According to Deportation Officer Kenneth B. Reed, charter flights to

Israel are typically scheduled every six months (Id., Exh O). Although there was a charter

flight tentatively scheduled for August, 2008, Alkawaa is now scheduled to depart the United

States on October 7, 2008 (Doc. #18, Exh 1).

The Department is authorized to detain Alkawaa for a period reasonably necessary to

accomplish his removal. Zadvydas, 533 U.S. at 689. The Court in Zadvydas set six months

as a presumptively reasonable period of time to allow the Department to effectuate an alien's

removal. Following this period, once the alien provides good reason to believe that there is

no significant likelihood of removal in the reasonably foreseeable future, the Department

must rebut this showing. Id.

Respondents contend that Alkawaa has not met his burden of showing that his

removal will not be effected in the reasonably foreseeable future. The Court acknowledges

that the six-month presumptively reasonable period expired several months ago. However,

the record reflects the continued efforts by both Alkawaa and the Department in attempts

to obtain the travel documents, the eventual receipt of those documents, and the sworn

testimony of Officer Reed that Alkawaa is scheduled to depart the United States on October

7, 2008. The Supreme Court made clear in Zadvydas that “an alien may be held in

confinement until it has been determined that there is no significant likelihood of removal

in the reasonably foreseeable future.” 533 U.S. at 701. The record reflects the opposite:

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there is a significant likelihood of Alkawaa’s removal on a specified date in the reasonably

foreseeable future.

IT IS THEREFORE RECOMMENDED that Mohanad Alkawaa’s petition for writ

of habeas corpus be denied and dismissed with prejudice (Doc. #1).

This recommendation is not an order that is immediately appealable to the Ninth

Circuit Court of Appeals. Any notice of appeal pursuant to Rule 4(a)(1), Federal Rules of

Appellate Procedure, should not be filed until entry of the district court’s judgment. The

parties shall have ten days from the date of service of a copy of this recommendation within

which to file specific written objections with the Court. See, 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1); Rules

72, 6(a), 6(e), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Thereafter, the parties have ten days within

which to file a response to the objections. Failure timely to file objections to the Magistrate

Judge's Report and Recommendation may result in the acceptance of the Report and

Recommendation by the district court without further review. See United States v. ReynaTapia, 328 F.3d 1114, 1121 (9th Cir. 2003). Failure timely to file objections to any factual

determinations of the Magistrate Judge will be considered a waiver of a party’s right to

appellate review of the findings of fact in an order or judgment entered pursuant to the

Magistrate Judge’s recommendation. See Rule 72, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

DATED this 25th day of August, 2008.

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