2009 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 11-5-2009 

# Ro drigue z v

. Atty Ge n U SA P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 08-3335

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Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2009 D e c i sion s b y an author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion
" Rodr i guez v

. Atty Ge n U SA" (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 304. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/304NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

___________ N o. 08- 3335

___________ ALC I BI AD ES ROD RI GU EZ,

Pet i t i oner v . A TTO RN EY G EN ER A L O F TH E U N I TED STA TES,

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_________________ Pet i t i on forR evi ew of an O r derof the B o a rd o f Im m ig ra tio n A p p e a ls ( A gencyN o. A 28 681 410) I m m i gr at i on J udge: H onor abl e Fr eder i c G . L eeds

____________________________________ Subm i tt ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

O ct ober21, 2009 B efor e: R E N D E L L , FI SH E R and G A R T H , C i r cui tJ udges

( Fi l ed: N ovember5, 2009)

___________ OPI NI ON O F THE COURT

___________ P E R C UR I AM A l ci bi ades R odr i guez pe t i t i ons forr evi ew of an or derof the B oar d of I m m i gr at i on A p p e a ls (“ B IA ” ) d ism iss in g h is a p p e a l o f a n Im m ig ra tio n Ju d g e ’s d e c isio n to d e n yh is2

mo t i o n t o r e o p e n h i s i mm i g r a t i o n p r o c e e d i n g s . We wi l l d e n yth e p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w. R odr i guez, a nat i ve and c i t i zen of N i car agua, came t o t he U ni t ed St at es i n 1985
w i t h hi s par ent s and s i bl i ngs w hen he w as ni ne y ear s ol d. I n 1987, R odr i guez’ s m other fi l ed an a ppl i cat i on forpol i t i cal as y l um . I n 1996, w hen R odr i guez w as tw entyy ear s ol d, t he I m m i gr at i on and N atur al i zat i on Ser vi ce i s s ued an O r dert o Show C aus e and N ot i ce of H ear i ng char gi ng t hathe w as s ubj ectt o deport at i on forent er i ng the U ni t ed St at es w i thout i ns pect i on. R odr i guez f ai l ed t o appea rfora s chedul ed hea r i ng and, on A ugus t15, 1996, Im m ig ra tio n J u d g e N ic o le K im o rd e re d h is d e p o rt a tio n in a b s e n tia . O verel even y ear s l at er , R odr i guez f i l ed a c ouns el ed mot i on t o r eopen the i m m i gr at i on pr ocee di ngs and r es ci nd t he or derent er ed i n abs ent i a. R odr i guez c l ai m ed t hathe di d notr ece i ve w r i t t en oror al not i ce of the A ugus t15, 1996, hear i ng and thatt he I m m i gr at i on C our tand the I m m i gr at i on and N atur al i zat i on Ser vi ce s entcorr es pondence to e ith e r h is f

o rm e r a d d re s s o r a n in c o m p le te a d d re s s . I m m i gr at i on J udge Fr eder i c Leeds ( “I J ”) found thatthe O r dert o Show C aus e w as per s onal l ys erved on R odr i guez on A pr i l 2, 1996, as evi dence d byhi s s i gnatur e on the document , and thatt he documenti nform ed hi m thathe mustappea rata hea r i ng on J une 27, 1996. T he I J fur t herfound that , atthe J une 27, 1996, hear i ng, I m m i gr at i on J udge K i m confi r m ed thatR odr i guez r ece i ved the O r dert o Show C aus e, ver i fi ed hi s name and ad d ress, an d sch ed u led th e A u g u st 15 , 1 9 9 6 , h ea ri n g . T h e IJ c o n clud ed that R o d ri g u ez ’s aff i davi ti n s uppor tof hi s m ot i on t o r eopen c onfl i ct ed w i t h t he evi dence , w hi ch3

es t abl i s hed thatR odr i guez r ece i ved the O r dert o Show C aus e and appear ed atthe J une 27 , 19 96 , heari ng . T he IJ al so st at ed thatreopen i ng w as not w arr anted becau se R odr i guez f

ai l ed t o es t abl i s h hi s pr i m a fa ci e el i gi bi l i t yforcanc el l at i on of r emoval , the
r el i ef thathe i nt ended t o s eek s houl d hi s pr ocee di ngs be r eopene d. T he B I A di s m i s s ed R odr i guez’ s appea l . T he B I A r ej ect ed R odr i guez’ s cont ent i on that the s ign ature o n the O rde r t o S h o w C au se w as n o t sho w n to b elon g to h im . T h e B IA pr es um ed thatt he G overnm entpr oper l yper form ed i t s dut i es and di d notfor ge or m i s r epr es entR odr i guez’ s s i gnatur e and s t at ed thatR odr i guez di d notpr ovi de any evi dence i ndi cat i ng t hatt he s i gnatur e w as notauthent i c. T he B I A al s o r ej ect ed R odr i guez’ s cont ent i on t hatt he O r dert o Show C aus e w as defe ct i ve bec aus e i tw as not r ead t o hi m i n Spani s h. I n addi t i on, the B I A s t at ed thatthe not i ce of the A ugus t15, 1996, h e a rin g re f

lec ted th a t itw a s p e rso n a llyse rv e d o n R o d rig u e z a n d th a t h e w a s o ra lly i nform ed of i t s cont ent s . Fi nal l y , t he B I A deni ed R odr i guez’ s r eques tt o r eopen the pr ocee di ngs s ua s pont e, fi ndi ng no exce pt i onal ci r cumst ance s and not i ng thatR odr i guez di d notus e due di l i gence i n s eeki ng r eopeni ng. T hi s pet i t i on forr evi ew fol l ow ed. W e r evi ew t he deni al of a mot i on t o r eopen f orabus e of di s cr et i on. Fadi ga v. A tto rn e yG e n e ra l, 48 8 F .3 d 1 4 2 , 1 5 3 (3 d C ir. 2 0 0 7 ). U n d e r th is s tan d a rd , w e w ill u p h o ld th e B IA ’s d e c is io n u n le s s it is a rb itr a ry, irr a tio n a l, o r c o n tr a ry to la w . Id . Ro d r i g u e z a r g u e s i n h i s b r i e f th a th e d i d n o ts i g n th e Or d e rt o S h o w C a u s e . As not ed byt he B I A , R odr i guez s ubm i t t ed no evi dence s how i ng thatthe s i gnatur e on theR odr i guez di d notr ai s e an a r gum enti n hi s appea l befor e the B I A bas ed on the s pel l i ng 1 of hi s name. 4 O r dert o Show C aus e i s nothi s s i gnatur e. A l t hough R odr i guez a s s ert s thathi s m other
m ayhave s i gned the O r dert o Show C aus e, he di d nots ubm i ta s t at ementfr om hi s m ot her o r a n yo th e r e v id e n c e to th is e f f e c t. R o d rig u e z a lso a rg u e s th a t th e sig n a tu re o n th e O rd e r to S h o w C a u se is ques t i onabl e bec aus e the document s s ubm i t t ed w i t h hi s m ot i on t o r eopen r efl ectthathe s p e l l s h i s f

i r s tn a me “ Al c i v i a d e s ” a n d th e Or d e rt o S h o w Ca u s e s p e l l s h i s n a me “A l ci bi ades . ” To t he ext entw e have j ur i s di ct i on t o ent ert ai n t hi s ar gum ent , the fa ctt hat 1 t he si gn ature m at ches t he spell i ng i n the O rdert o S ho w C ause i s i nsuff i ci ent t o est abli sh th a t R o d rig u e z d id n o t sig n th e d o c u m e n t. R o d rig u e z u se d th e f irst n a m e A lcib iad e s in h is f ilin g s w ith th e B IA . S e e A .R . a t 4 7 . R odr i guez f

ur t herar gues t hatthe admi ni s t r at i ve r ecor d does notes t abl i s h t hathe appea r ed att he J une 27, 1996, hear i ng and r ece i ved not i ce of the A ugus t15, 1996, hear i ng. A l t hough R odr i guez i s corr ectthatthe r ecor d does notcont ai n a tr ans cr i ptof the J une 27, 1996, hear i ng, t he r ecor d r efl ect s thatthe I m m i gr at i on J udge ver i fi ed s ervi ce of t he O r dert o Show C aus e on thatdat e. A . R . at111. I n addi t i on, the I m m i gr at i on J udge si gn ed a n oti ce on June 2 7, 19 96 , schedu l i ng the A ug ust15 , 19 96 , heari ng , w hich st at es: T h is w ri tte n n o tic e w a s p ro v id e d to th e a lie n in E n g lis h a n d in S p a n is h . O r al not i ce of

t he cont ent s of thi s not i ce w as gi ven t o t he al i en i n hi s /her nati ve langu age, ori n a langu age h e/ she un derst and s.B eca us e the B I A di d notabus e i t s di s cr et i on i n concl udi ng thatR odr i guez r ece i ved 2 no t i ce of t he A ug ust15 , 19 96 , heari ng athis i nit i al heari ng , i ti s unn ecessaryt o ad dress hi s ar gum ent s t hatt he A ugus t15, 1996, i n abs ent i a or derand the J une 27, 1996, hear i ng not i ce do notr efl ecthi s corr ectaddr es s . W e not e onl ythatthe J une 27, 1996, hear i ng not i ce r efl ect s t he s ame addr es s as t he O r dert o Show C aus e. A l s o, t o t he ext ent R odr i guez c ont ends t hathe es t abl i s hed “r eas onabl e ca us e” f orhi s fai l ur e t o appea r , the “r eas onabl e ca us e” s t andar d i s i nappl i cabl e. See I n r e C ruz- G ar ci a, 22 I . & N . D ec. 1155, 1156 n. 1, 1159 ( B I A 1999) ( “r eas onabl e ca us e” s t andar d appl i ed t o not i ces of hea r i ngs pr i ort o J une 13, 1992, w hi ch w er e governed bys ect i on 242( b) of the I m m i gr at i on and N ati o n ali tyA ct). 5 A .R . at 1 0 8 . In lig h t o f th e se sta tem e n ts, w e c a n n o t co n c lu d e th a t th e B IA a b u se d its di s cr et i on i n deci di ng t hatR odr i guez ha d not i ce of the A ugus t15, 1996, hear i ng. O t her th a n R o d ri g u e z ’s o w n s ta te m e n t, th e re c o rd c o n ta in s n o e v id e n c e to th e c o n tr a ry. W e a lso a g re e w ith th e G o v e rn m e n t th a t th e f a c t th a t R o d rig u e z w a s n o t o rd e re d d e p o rte d in abs ent i a on J une 27, 1996, s uppor t s an i nfer ence thathe w as pr es enton t hatdat e. 2 R odr i guez a l s o ar gues i n t he al t ernat i ve thatthe B I A err ed i n fai l i ng t o r eopen the p ro c e e d in g s b e c a u se th e O rd e r to S h o w C a u se re f lec ts th a t th e o f

f ice r d id n o t re a d it t o hi m i n Spani s h, as r equi r ed byt he r egul at i ons . I n r ej ect i ng thi s ar gum ent , the B I A r el i ed on I n r e S- M - , 22 I . & N . D ec. 49, 51 ( B I A 1998) , i n w hi ch the B I A s t at ed thatthe
r egul at i ons r equi r e thatt he off i cerexpl ai n t he cont ent s of the O r dert o Show C aus e, not t hatt he off

i cerr ead the ent i r e document . E ven i f the O r dert o Show C aus e w as not expl ai ned t o R odr i guez, he w as notpr ej udi ced bys uch a f ai l ur e gi ven the fi ndi ng thathe appea r ed att he J une 27, 1996, hear i ng, w her e he w as or al l ynot i fi ed of the cons equenc es o f a f a i l u r e t o a p p e a ra tt h e Au g u s t1 5 , 1 9 9 6 , h e a r i n g . S e e I n r e He r n a n d e z , 2 1 I . & N.6

De c . 2 2 4 , 2 2 7 ( BI A 1 9 9 6 ) ( n o t i n g t h a tth e n u mb e ro f c a s e s wh e r e p r e

j u d i c e r e s u l t s f

r o m a f a ilu re to e x p la in th e O rd e r t o S h o w C a u s e is lim ite d ). Fi nal l y , as t he G overnm entcorr ect l yar gues , w e l ack j ur i s di ct i on t o r evi ew R odr i guez’ s chal l enge t o t he B I A ’ s di s cr et i onarydeci s i on deny i ng hi s r eques tt o s ua sp o n te reo p en h is pro ce ed ing s. C all e-V u ji les v . A sh cro ft, 3 2 0 F . 3 d 4 7 2 , 4 7 4 -75 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 3 ). Ac c o r d i n g l y , we wi l l d e n yt h e p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w.