Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_11-cv-02340/USCOURTS-azd-2_11-cv-02340-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 465
Nature of Suit: Other Immigration Actions
Cause of Action: 08:1252(a)(2) Injunction for Deportation

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WO 

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA 

Marcos Antonio Lomeli, 

Petitioner, 

vs. 

Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General 

Respondent.

No. CV-11-02340-PHX-NVW

FINDINGS OF FACT, 

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW, and 

ORDER 

This case was referred to this Court pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(5)(B) for the 

limited purpose of making a judicial determination regarding Petitioner’s disputed claim 

of United States citizenship. The relevant law and many of the relevant facts are not 

disputed. 

The parties agree that the relevant law for determining whether an individual has 

acquired United States citizenship is the law in effect at the time of the person’s birth. In 

order to establish he acquired citizenship through his mother, Petitioner bears the burden 

to establish his mother was physically present in the United States for ten years between 

her date of birth, December 11, 1930, and prior to Petitioner’s date of birth, April 24, 

1955. 8 U.S.C. § 1401(a)(7) (1952). In order to establish he acquired citizenship through 

his mother, Petitioner must additionally establish Ms. Lomeli was physically present in 

the United States for five years between her fourteenth birthday, December 11, 1944, and 

Petitioner’s date of birth, April 24, 1955. 8 U.S.C. § 1401(a)(7) (1952). 

On May 16, 2013, an evidentiary hearing was held during which Petitioner 

testified and the Court made evidentiary rulings and findings on the record in open court. 

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The following findings of fact and conclusions of law supplement, but do not alter, those 

made on the record. 

I. FINDINGS OF FACT 

1. Petitioner’s mother, Raquel Lopez Lomeli (“Ms. Lomeli”) was born in 

Lincoln, California, on December 11, 1930. 

2. Ms. Lomeli moved to Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, with her mother and 

three elder siblings no later than 1932. 

3. Ms. Lomeli’s younger sister, Isabel Lopez (a.k.a. “Isabel Estrada”), was 

born in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1935. 

4. Ms. Lomeli’s younger sister, Maria Lopez (a.k.a. “Maria Garcia”), was 

born in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1938. 

5. Ms. Lomeli’s cousin, Bertha Guzman, was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, on 

September 22, 1938. 

6. Ms. Lomeli’s younger brother, Jose Ociel Lopez, was born in Guadalajara, 

Mexico, in 1942. 

7. Ms. Lomeli’s youngest sibling, Salvador Lopez (a.k.a. “Chavito”) was born 

in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1946, and was handicapped. 

8. From 1932 until her marriage in 1951, Ms. Lomeli resided with her mother 

and siblings in their three bedroom family home in Guadalajara, Mexico. 

9. Ms. Lomeli’s family home in Mexico was located at 1026 Federation, 

Sector Liberty, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. 

10. While living at 1026 Federation, Sector Liberty, Ms. Lomeli slept in one 

bedroom with her sisters, Isabel Estrada and Maria Garcia. 

11. At their home at 1026 Federation, Sector Liberty, Guadalajara, Jalisco, 

Mexico, the Lomeli family also owned a shoe shop where they made and 

sold shoes. 

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12. Ms. Bertha Guzman worked at the Lomeli family’s shoe shop in Sector 

Liberty, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, from 1947 until 1953, and saw 

Ms. Lomeli at the Lomeli family home almost every day. 

13. Ms. Lomeli married Salvador Lomeli (“Mr. Lomeli”) in a civil ceremony 

on April 20, 1951, and a religious ceremony on May 13, 1951, in 

Guadalajara, Mexico. 

14. From the date of her marriage in 1951 through the date of Petitioner’s birth 

in 1955, Ms. Lomeli’s primary residence was in Mexico. 

15. After their marriage in 1951, Mr. and Ms. Lomeli rented a home near 

Ms. Lomeli’s family home in Sector Liberty, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. 

16. Petitioner’s elder brother, Aurelio Lomeli, was born in Mexico on March 6, 

1952. 

17. Petitioner’s elder sister, Maria Raquel Lomeli, was born in Mexico on 

July 29, 1953. 

18. In 1953, Ms. Lomeli lived in Tijuana and worked in the fields in the United 

States for varying hours during the day for nine to ten months. 

19. In 1954, Ms. Lomeli was physically present in Oxnard, California for 

nearly one year. 

20. The number of hours that Ms. Lomeli worked in the United States between 

1951 and 1955 did not amount to five years of physical presence. 

21. Petitioner Marcos Antonio Lomeli (“Mr. Lomeli” or “Petitioner”) was born 

in Guadalajara, Mexico, on April 24, 1955. 

22. Petitioner’s younger sister, Maria Alejandrina Lomeli Lopez, was born in 

Mexico on November 26, 1956. 

23. Petitioner’s younger sister, Silvina Lomeli, was born in Mexico on March 

13, 1959. 

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24. Ms. Lomeli, Salvador Lomeli, Petitioner and his sisters entered the United 

States in 1960. 

25. In 1968, Plaintiff’s mother filed an N-600 Application for Certificate of 

Citizenship on Petitioner’s behalf. 

26. On May 13, 1968, an officer of the United States Immigration and 

Naturalization Service (“INS”) interviewed Ms. Lomeli, under oath, 

concerning her Application for a Certificate of Citizenship on Petitioner’s 

behalf. 

27. During the interview, Ms. Lomeli testified, under oath, she moved from the 

United States to Mexico in 1932, worked in the United States in 1953 for 

nine or ten months, and lived in Oxnard, California for almost a year in 

1954. 

28. Following the interview, the INS denied Ms. Lomeli’s application for an N600 Certificate of Citizenship on Petitioner’s behalf on June 20, 1968. 

29. Petitioner filed a second N-600 Application for Certificate of Citizenship 

on November 22, 1991. 

30. The INS denied Petitioner’s second N-600 Application on September 15, 

1994. 

31. On December 9, 1992, Petitioner filed an Application for Adjustment of 

Status to register as a Legal Permanent Resident under 8 U.S.C. § 1259. 

32. The INS denied Petitioner’s application to register as a Legal Permanent 

Resident on August 13, 1993, for lack of good moral character. 

33. Petitioner entered criminal custody in 1998 and was released in 2004. 

34. On June 14, 2006, Petitioner filed his third N-600 Application for 

Certificate of Citizenship on June 14, 2006. 

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35. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (“USCIS”) denied 

Petitioner’s third N-600 Application for Certificate of Citizenship on 

November 9, 2006. 

36. The Department of Homeland Security initiated removal proceedings 

against Petitioner, by serving him with a Notice To Appear and charging 

him with removability on November 9, 2006. 

II. CONCLUSIONS OF LAW 

1. Petitioner failed to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that his 

mother was physically present in the United States for ten years between 

her date of birth, December 11, 1930, and prior to Petitioner’s date of birth, 

April 24, 1955. See 8 U.S.C. § 1401(a)(7) (1952). 

2. Petitioner failed to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that 

Ms. Lomeli was physically present in the United States for five years 

between her fourteenth birthday, December 11, 1944, and Petitioner’s date 

of birth, April 24, 1955. See 8 U.S.C. § 1401(a)(7) (1952). 

3. Petitioner did not acquire United States citizenship through his mother 

pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1401(a)(7) (1952), because Ms. Lomeli lacked the 

requisite physical presence in the United States prior to Petitioner’s birth. 

4. The Court lacks authority to confer United States citizenship on Petitioner 

through any equitable means such as estoppel or laches. 

5. Even if the Court had the authority to confer United States citizenship 

through equitable means, which it does not, Petitioner failed to establish 

Alexander Gonzalez’s (“Mr. Gonzalez”) decision not to issue a detainer for 

Petitioner constituted affirmative misconduct, where Mr. Gonzalez’s 

authority was limited to determining whether to place Petitioner in 

immigration detention under 8 C.F.R. § 287.7. 

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6. Even if the Court had the authority to confer United States citizenship 

through equitable means and the decision not to issue a detainer amounted 

to affirmative misconduct, Petitioner failed to establish he would 

experience “serious injustice” if Respondent were estopped from 

challenging his assertion of citizenship. 

7. Even if Petitioner relied on Mr. Gonzalez’s 2004 detainer summary, the 

reliance cannot be reasonable where Mr. Gonzalez is not authorized to 

adjudicate citizenship claims and the United States Department of 

Homeland Security initiated removal proceedings and repeatedly denied 

Petitioner’s claim he acquired citizenship through his mother. 

8. Consequently, even if the Court had authority to confer citizenship by 

equitable means, which it does not, Petitioner failed to show equitable 

estoppel or laches is warranted. 

9. The Respondent did not waive any claim that Petitioner is not a United 

States citizen where it consistently denied all three of Petitioner’s N-600 

Applications for Certificate of Citizenship and denied his 1992 Application 

for Adjustment of Status for lack of good moral character. 

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Declaratory Judgment be entered in the form 

filed herewith. The Clerk shall terminate this action. 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Clerk of this Court file with the Clerk of the 

Court of Appeals copies of this order and the Declaratory Judgment filed herewith. 

Dated this 16th day of May, 2013. 

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