Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-00024/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-00024-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 530
Nature of Suit: Prisoner Petitions - Habeas Corpus
Cause of Action: 28:2241 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus

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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

AL-NAJJAR, NAJAT, MUSTAFA, EVA and

NEVEEN.

Petitioners,

 v.

JOHN ASHCROFT, Attorney General of the

United States, TOM RIDGE, Secretary of

Homeland Security, NANCY ALCANTAR,

et al.,

Respondents. /

No. C 05-00024 WHA

ORDER DISMISSING HABEAS

CORPUS PETITION AND

VACATING HEARING 

Petitioners have a habeas petition pending before the Court. On March 29, 2005, the

Board of Immigration Appeals granted petitioners’ motion to reopen based on ineffective

assistance of counsel and remanded deportation proceedings to the California Executive Office

for Immigration Review

Given this latest development, this Court determines that it no longer has jurisdiction to

conduct any further proceedings despite petitioners’ request for the Court to retain jurisdiction. 

Prudentially, we require a petitioner who argues ineffective assistance of counsel to exhaust his

administrative remedies by first presenting the issue to the BIA. Ontiveros- Lopex v.

Immigration and Naturalization Service, 213 F.3d 1121, 1124 (9th Cir. 2000). By the very

nature of the claim, the BIA would not have had the opportunity to consider a claim of

ineffective assistance of counsel absent a motion to reopen. Therefore, the BIA now will have

the opportunity to fully develop the record and consider the claim in light of its agency

expertise. 

Case 3:05-cv-00024-WHA Document 18 Filed 05/10/05 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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Depending on the result of the BIA proceeding, petitioners may seek an appeal in

federal court and seek to relate case to the undersigned. 

Based on the foregoing, the Court DISMISSES petitioner’s habeas corpus petition,

VACATES the hearing scheduled for May 12, 2005, and ORDERS the clerk to CLOSE the file. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: May 10, 2005. 

WILLIAM ALSUP

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 3:05-cv-00024-WHA Document 18 Filed 05/10/05 Page 2 of 2