### IN THE UNI TED STAT ES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIF TH CIRCU IT

N o

. 1 0

- 4 0 4 1 1 S u m m a r y C a l e n d a r

M A R K J

. W A T S O N
,

P l a i n t i f f

– A p p e l l a n t

v

.

C H I E F A D M I N I S T R A T I V E L A W J U D G E ; U N I T E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F L A B O R ; B A N K O F A M E R I C A ; E L E C T R O N I C D A T A S Y S T E M S C O R P O R A T I O N ; I B M C O R P O R A T I O N ; U N I T E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F H O M E L A N D S E C U R I T Y ; U N I T E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F S T A T E
,

D e f e n d a n t s

– A p p e l l e e s

A p p e a l f

r o m t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s D i s t r i c t C o u r t f o r t h e E a s t e r n D i s t r i c t o f T e x a s U S D C N o

. 4 : 0 9

- C V

- 3 1 0

B e f o r e W I E N E R
, P R A D O
, a n d O W E N
, C i r c u i t J u d g e s

. P E R C U R I A M : *

M a r k J

. W a t s o n , p r o s e , a p p e a l s t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t ’ s d i s m i s s a l o f h i s c a s e
f o r l a c k o f s u b j e c t m a t t e r j u r i s d i c t i o n

. W e a f f i r m

. U n i te d S ta te s C o u rt o f A p p ea l s F i ft h C i rc u i t 

### F I L E D Octob er 15 , 20 10

Lyle W . Cayce Clerk

Pursua nt to 5 T H C I R

. R. 47.5
, the cour t has d ete rm ined t hat this op inion s hould not * be publ ish ed and is not pr ece dent excep t unde r the lim ite d cir cum st ance s se t for th in 5 T H C I R

. R. 47.5 .4. Case: 10-40411 Document: 00511264561 Page: 1 Date Filed: 10/15/2010N o

. 1 0

- 4 0 4 1 1

I

. F A C T U A L A N D P R O C E D U R A L H I S T O R Y

I n 2 0 0 3
, W a t s o n f

i l e d a c o m p l a i n t w i t h t h e W a g e a n d H o u r D i v i s i o n o f t h e
U

. S

. D e p a r t m e n t o f L a b o r ( “ W H D ” )
, a l l e g i n g t h a t E l e c t r o n i c D a t a S y s t e m s C o r p

. ( “ E D S ” )
, h i s f

o r m e r e m p l o y e r , t e r m i n a t e d h i s e m p l o y m e n t a n d h i r e d a n H 1

- B

f o r e i g n w o r k e r i n h i s p l a c e i n v i o l a t i o n o f t h e I m m i g r a t i o n a n d N a t i o n a l i t y A c t ( “ I N A ” )

. S e e 8 U

. S

. C

. § 1 1 8 2 ( n )

. W a t s o n a l s o f i l e d c o m p l a i n t s a g a i n s t B a n k o f

A m e r i c a , N

. A

. ( “ B O A ” ) a n d I B M C o r p

. ( “ I B M ” )
, a l l e g i n g t h a t t h e y h a d u n l a w f u l l y
h i r e d H

- 1 B f

o r e i g n w o r k e r s t o f

i l l p o s i t i o n s f

o r w h i c h h e h a d a p p l i e d

. W H D d e c l i n e d t o i n v e s t i g a t e W a t s o n ’ s c o m p l a i n t s b e c a u s e t h e r e w a s “ n o

r e a s o n a b l e c a u s e ” t o b e l i e v e t h a t a v i o l a t i o n o f t h e I N A h a d o c c u r r e d

. W a t s o n

r e q u e s t e d h e a r i n g s f o r e a c h c o m p l a i n t , b u t v a r i o u s A d m i n i s t r a t i v e L a w J u d g e s

g r a n t e d s u m m a r y j u d g m e n t t o E D S
, B O A
, a n d I B M

. W a t s o n t h e n a p p e a l e d e a c h

o f t h e s e a d v e r s e d e c i s i o n s t o t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f L a b o r ’ s A d m i n i s t r a t i v e R e v i e w
B o a r d ( t h e “ B o a r d ” )

. T h e B o a r d a f f i r m e d t h e E D S a n d B O A d e c i s i o n s o n M a y

3 1
, 2 0 0 5
, a n d d e c l i n e d t o r e v i e w t h e I B M d e c i s i o n o n O c t o b e r 2 0
, 2 0 0 6

. O n J u n e 2 2
, 2 0 0 9
, W a t s o n f i l e d t h i s l a w s u i t i n t h e E a s t e r n D i s t r i c t o f

T e x a s , c l a i m i n g t h a t E D S
, B O A
, a n d I B M h a d v i o l a t e d t h e I N A a n d t h a t v a r i o u s
f e d e r a l a g e n c i e s , i n c l u d i n g t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f L a b o r , h a d w r o n g f u l l y f a i l e d t o
i n v e s t i g a t e h i s c o m p l a i n t s

. A c c o r d i n g t o W a t s o n , t h i s l a w s u i t i s “ a n a p p e a l o f 1

a f i n a l a g e n c y a c t i o n ( a

. k

. a

. a p p l i c a t i o n f o r w r i t o f m a n d a m u s ) f i l e d i n t h e
d i s t r i c t c o u r t u n d e r t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n a l a u t h o r i t y o f 2 8 U

. S

. C

. § 1 3 6 1 [ t h e f e d e r a l

This is not Wats on’s fir st tim e in fed eral cour t on thes e clai ms

. Includ ing the ins tant 1

cas e, he has fil ed no les s than five fed eral law sui ts bas ed on sub st antia lly sim ilar fac tual allegat ions
, res ulti ng in at leas t nine wr itt en opi nions
, none of wh ich have res olved even a sin gle iss ue in his favor

. See Wats on v. Ele c. Da ta S ys. , No. 3:04 -CV- 02291 (N .D

. Tex. June 14, 2005 ) , ap

pe al dism is sed as fr iv olo us , 191 F. App ’x 315 (5t h Cir. 2006) ; Wats on v. Bank of Am

. , No. 3:05 -CV- 00007 (N .D

. Tex. June 14, 2005)
, ap pe al dis mi sse d as fr iv olo us , 196 F. App ’x 306 (5t h Cir. 2006)
, c ert. deni ed
, 549 U. S. 1362 (200 7); Wats on v. Uni ted States
, No. 06-CV00716, 2007 WL 5171595 (Fed

. Cl. Jan. 26), af f’ d
, 240 F. App ’x 410 (Fed

. Cir. ), cer t. deni ed
, 552 U. S. 868 ( 2007)
, reh ’g d eni ed
, 281 F. App ’x 9 70 ( Fed. Cir

. 2008) ; Wats on v. U nited State s , 86 Fed. Cl. 399 ( Fed. Cl. ), af f’ d
, 349 F. App ’x 5 42 ( Fed. Cir

. 2009)

.

2 Case: 10-40411 Document: 00511264561 Page: 2 Date Filed: 10/15/2010N o

. 1 0

- 4 0 4 1 1

m a n d a m u s s t a t u t e ] p u r s u a n t t o 5 U

. S

. C

. § 7 0 1 t h r o u g h 5 U

. S

. C

. § 7 0 6 [ t h e
A d m i n i s t r a t i v e P r o c e d u r e A c t ( “ A P A ” ) ]

. ”

T h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t a d o p t e d t h e m a g i s t r a t e j u d g e ’ s r e c o m m e n d a t i o n a n d

d i s m i s s e d W a t s o n ’ s c l a i m s b e c a u s e : ( 1 ) t h e c o u r t l a c k e d j u r i s d i c t i o n t o r e v i e w
W H D ’ s a n d t h e B o a r d ’ s d e c i s i o n s , o r g r a n t r e l i e f f o r c l a i m s a r i s i n g u n d e r t h e
I N A r e l a t i n g t o t h e H

- 1 B p r o g r a m ; a n d ( 2 ) t h e d o c t r i n e o f r e s j u d i c a t a b a r r e d

W a t s o n ’ s c l a i m s b e c a u s e t h e y h a d b e e n p r e v i o u s l y d i s m i s s e d b y m u l t i p l e f e d e r a l

c o u r t s

. W a t s o n a p p e a l s

. I I

. A N A L Y S I S

W e r e v i e w t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t ’ s d i s m i s s a l f o r l a c k o f s u b j e c t m a t t e r j u r i s d i c t i o n d e n o v o

. C l e a n C O A L i t i o n v

. T X U P o w e r , 5 3 6 F

. 3 d 4 6 9
, 4 7 3 ( 5 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 8 ) ( c i t a t i o n o m i t t e d )

. “ A c a s e i s p r o p e r l y d i s m i s s e d f o r l a c k o f s u b j e c t m a t t e r j u r i s d i c t i o n w h e n t h e c o u r t l a c k s t h e s t a t u t o r y o r c o n s t i t u t i o n a l p o w e r t o

a d j u d i c a t e t h e c a s e

. ” I d

. ( c i t a t i o n o m i t t e d )

. W a t s o n p u r p o r t s t o b r i n g h i s c l a i m s u n d e r t h e A P A
, 5 U

. S

. C

. § 7 0 6 ; t h e
I N A
, 8 U

. S

. C

. § 1 1 8 2 ( n ) ; t h e D e c l a r a t o r y J u d g m e n t A c t ( “ D J A ” )
, 2 8 U

. S

. C

. § 2 2 0 1 ; a n d t h e f e d e r a l m a n d a m u s s t a t u t e , 2 8 U

. S

. C

. § 1 3 6 1

. W e a g r e e w i t h t h e
d i s t r i c t c o u r t

— a n d e v e r y o t h e r c o u r t t h a t h a s e x a m i n e d W a t s o n ’ s c l a i m s

— t h a t

t h e s e s t a t u t e s d o n o t p r o v i d e s u f f i c i e n t g r o u n d s f

o r j u r i s d i c t i o n

. U n d e r t h e A P A
, t h e r e i s n o j u d i c i a l r e v i e w o f a g e n c y a c t i o n w h e n t h a t

“ a g e n c y a c t i o n i s c o m m i t t e d t o a g e n c y d i s c r e t i o n b y l a w

. ” 5 U

. S

. C

. § 7 0 1 ( a ) ( 2 )

. T h e H

- 1 B p r o v i s i o n s o f t h e I N A i n s t r u c t t h e S e c r e t a r y o f L a b o r ( o r h e r d e s i g n e e )

t o “ c o n d u c t a n i n v e s t i g a t i o n ” i n t o c o m p l a i n t s t h a t a n e m p l o y e r h a s f a i l e d t o

a b i d e b y t h e H

- 1 B p r o v i s i o n s r e g a r d i n g t h e d i s p l a c e m e n t o f U

. S

. w o r k e r s w i t h

H

- 1 B f o r e i g n w o r k e r s “ i f t h e r e i s r e a s o n a b l e c a u s e t o b e l i e v e t h a t s u c h a
f a i l u r e

. . . h a s o c c u r r e d

. ” 8 U

. S

. C

. § 1 1 8 2 ( n ) ( 2 ) ( A )

. B y t h e t e r m s o f t h e I N A
, 2

A se par ate pr ovis ion for com plai nts to the Atto rney Ge nera l, 8 U. S. C. § 1182( n)( 5)( B), 2 wh ich is sub ject t o l im ite d judic ial revie w, id. § 1182( n)( 5)( D)
, is not at iss ue in this c ase

.
3 Case: 10-40411 Document: 00511264561 Page: 3 Date Filed: 10/15/2010N o

. 1 0

- 4 0 4 1 1

t h e r e f o r e , o n l y t h e S e c r e t a r y i s e m p o w e r e d t o m a k e t h i s r e a s o n a b l e

- c a u s e

a s s e s s m e n t

. I n o t h e r w o r d s , W H D ’ s d e t e r m i n a t i o n t h a t t h e r e w a s n o r e a s o n a b l e

c a u s e t o i n v e s t i g a t e W a t s o n ’ s a l l e g a t i o n s , a n d t h e B o a r d ’ s a f f i r m a n c e o f t h a t

d e t e r m i n a t i o n , a r e d e c i s i o n s t h a t a r e c o m m i t t e d t o t h e d i s c r e t i o n o f a f e d e r a l

a g e n c y u n d e r t h e s t a t u t e a n d
, t h e r e f o r e , a r e u n r e v i e w a b l e

. S e e H e c k l e r v

. C h a n e y , 4 7 0 U

. S

. 8 2 1
, 8 3 2 ( 1 9 8 5 ) ( “ [ A ] n a g e n c y ’ s d e c i s i o n n o t t o p r o s e c u t e o r

e n f o r c e

. . . i s a d e c i s i o n g e n e r a l l y c o m m i t t e d t o a n a g e n c y ’ s a b s o l u t e d i s c r e t i o n

. ”
( c i t a t i o n s o m i t t e d ) ) ; 2 0 C

. F

. R

. § 6 5 5

. 8 0 6 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( p r o v i d i n g t h a t u n d e r § 1 1 8 2 ( n ) ( 2 )
,

“ [ n ] o h e a r i n g o r a p p e a l

. . . s h a l l b e a v a i l a b l e w h e r e t h e A d m i n i s t r a t o r [ o f W H D ]

d e t e r m i n e s t h a t a n i n v e s t i g a t i o n o n a c o m p l a i n t i s n o t w a r r a n t e d

. ” )

. M o r e o v e r , a s w e h a v e p o i n t e d o u t i n o u r p r e v i o u s o p i n i o n s r e g a r d i n g
W a t s o n ’ s c l a i m s , § 1 1 8 2 ( n ) d o e s n o t c r e a t e a p r i v a t e c a u s e o f a c t i o n o n b e h a l f o f

a n e m p l o y e e w h o w a s a l l e g e d l y f i r e d o r n o t h i r e d i n f a v o r o f a n H

- 1 B f o r e i g n

w o r k e r

. S e e W

a t s o n , 1 9 6 F

. A p p ’ x a t 3 0 7

– 0 8 ; W a t s o n , 1 9 1 F

. A p p ’ x a t * 1 ;
V e n k a t r a m a n v

. R E I S y s

. , I n c

. , 4 1 7 F

. 3 d 4 1 8
, 4 2 2

– 2 4 ( 4 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 5 ) ; S h a h v

. W i l c o S y s

. , I n c

. , 1 2 6 F

. S u p p

. 2 d 6 4 1
, 6 4 7 ( S

. D

. N

. Y

. 2 0 0 0 ) ( a l l h o l d i n g t h a t t h e r e
i s n o p r i v a t e r i g h t o f a c t i o n u n d e r § 1 1 8 2 )

. B e y o n d t h e t e x t o f

t h e I N A i t s e l f
, n e i t h e r t h e A P A n o r t h e D J A s e r v e s a s

a n i n d e p e n d e n t b a s i s f o r s u b j e c t m a t t e r j u r i s d i c t i o n

. S e e W a t s o n , 1 9 1 F

. A p p ’ x

a t * 1 ( c i t i n g C a l i f

a n o v

. S a n d e r s , 4 3 0 U

. S

. 9 9
, 1 0 7 ( 1 9 7 7 ) ( “ W e t h u s c o n c l u d e t h a t

t h e A P A d o e s n o t a f f o r d a n i m p l i e d g r a n t o f s u b j e c t

- m a t t e r j u r i s d i c t i o n

p e r m i t t i n g f e d e r a l j u d i c i a l r e v i e w o f a g e n c y a c t i o n

. ” ) ) ; S c h i l l i n g v

. R o g e r s , 3 6 3

U

. S

. 6 6 6
, 6 7 7 ( 1 9 6 0 ) ( “ [ T ] h e D e c l a r a t o r y J u d g m e n t A c t i s n o t a n i n d e p e n d e n t

s o u r c e o f f e d e r a l j u r i s d i c t i o n ; t h e a v a i l a b i l i t y o f s u c h r e l i e f p r e s u p p o s e s t h e

e x i s t e n c e o f a j u d i c i a l l y r e m e d i a b l e r i g h t

. ” ( c i t a t i o n o m i t t e d ) ) ; B u d g e t P r e p a y , I n c

. v

. A T & T C o r

p

. , 6 0 5 F

. 3 d 2 7 3
, 2 7 8 ( 5 t h C i r

. 2 0 1 0 ) ( “ A d e c l a r a t o r y j u d g m e n t

c l a i m i s n o t j u r i s d i c t i o n

- c o n f e r r i n g ; t h e r e m u s t b e a n i n d e p e n d e n t b a s i s f o r
f e d e r a l j u r i s d i c t i o n

. ” ( c i t a t i o n o m i t t e d ) )

.

4 Case: 10-40411 Document: 00511264561 Page: 4 Date Filed: 10/15/2010N o

. 1 0

- 4 0 4 1 1

I n a d d i t i o n , t h e f e d e r a l m a n d a m u s s t a t u t e , 2 8 U

. S

. C

. § 1 3 6 1
, d o e s n o t

c o n f e r j u r i s d i c t i o n e i t h e r

. I s s u a n c e o f a w r i t o f m a n d a m u s i s a n “ e x t r a o r d i n a r y

r e m e d y , a v a i l a b l e o n l y w h e r e g o v e r n m e n t o f f i c i a l s c l e a r l y h a v e f a i l e d t o p e r f o r m

n o n d i s c r e t i o n a r

y d u t i e s

. ” D u n n

- M c C a m p b e l l R o y a l I n t e r e s t , I

n c

. v

. N a t ’ l P a r k

S e r v

. , 1 1 2 F

. 3 d 1 2 8 3
, 1 2 8 8 ( 5 t h C i r

. 1 9 9 7 ) ( e m p h a s i s a d d e d ) ( c i t a t i o n s o m i t t e d )

. H e r e , W H D ’ s d e c i s i o n n o t t o i n v e s t i g a t e w a s e n t i r e l y d i s c r e t i o n a r y u n d e r t h e

s t a t u t e , a n d t h u s i t c a n n o t s u p p o r t a n y c o n t e n t i o n b y W a t s o n t h a t m a n d a m u s

s h o u l d i s s u e

. S e e K

e e l e n v

. F

B I
, 7 8 F

. A p p ’ x 3 8 9
, 3 9 0 ( 5 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 3 ) ; G r e e n v

. H e c k l e r , 7 4 2 F

. 2 d 2 3 7
, 2 4 1 ( 5 t h C i r

. 1 9 8 4 ) ( b o t h h o l d i n g t h a t a w r i t o f m a n d a m u s

w a s n o t a v a i l a b l e t o f o r c e t h e F B I t o i n v e s t i g a t e a c o m p l a i n t )

. A c c o r d i n g l y , t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t w a s c o r r e c t w h e n i t r u l e d t h a t i t d i d n o t

h a v e s u b j e c t m a t t e r j u r i s d i c t i o n o v e r t h i s c a s e

. 3

A F F I R M E D

.

Becaus e we find that ther e wa s no sub ject mat ter juris dic tio n over Wat so n’s claim s, 3

we ne ed not dec ide w heth er the doc tri ne of res jud icat a al so bar s the clai ms

.
5 Case: 10-40411 Document: 00511264561 Page: 5 Date Filed: 10/15/2010