# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls
For the Eig hth Circu it

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No. 1 2- 29 77

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Im el da Rio s- Diaz

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Peti ti on er

v.

Eric H. Hold er, J r.

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Resp on de nt

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Pet it io n fo r Rev ie w of a n Ord er o f th e Bo ard of I m

m ig rat io n Ap pe al s

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Su bm it te d: Sep te m

be r 25 , 20 13
Fil ed : No ve m

be r 27 , 20 13 [Un pu bl is he d]

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Befo re MUR PHY, MELLOY, an d S HEPHERD, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

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PER CURI AM.

Afte r Im el da Ri os -Dia z was co nv ic te d of m ai l frau d in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C.
§ 13 41

, an im m ig rat io n jud ge fo un d he r rem ov ab le

, pr et erm it te d he r can cel la ti on of

rem ov al ap pl ic at io n, an d de n i e d he r req ue st fo r vo lu nt ary d ep art ur e. The Bo ard of

Im m ig rat io n App eal s affi rm ed

. Ri os -Dia z pe ti ti on s fo r rev ie w, arg ui ng th at th eBo ard erre d in co nc lu di ng th at he r m ai l frau d co nv ic ti on qu al ifi ed as a cri m e of m or al

tu rp it ud e. W e d en y

th e p et it io n.

Ri os -Dia z en te red th e Uni te d St at es fro m Mex ic o in Sep te m be r 19 91 wit ho ut

in sp ect io n or ad m is si on by an im m ig rat io n of fic er. Sh e ha s res id ed he re si nc e th en

. Her two ch il dr en are Uni te d St at es ci ti zen s, an d he r pa ren t s are la wfu l pe rm an en t

res id en ts . W hi le op erat in g h er b us in es s, Neat Tou ch Cl ean in g S erv ic es , Rio s- Diaz

rep or te d in accu rat e so ci al se cu rit y nu m be rs fo r so m e em

pl oyees in he r bu si ne ss ta x

ret ur ns

. In Apr il 20 09

, th e So ci al Secu rit y Adm in is tra ti on ex ecu te d a se arch warra nt

at he r pl ace of bu si ne ss an d arres te d her

. Sh e was co nv ic te d of m ai l frau d un de r 18
U.S.C. § 1 34 1 a nd un la wfu l di sc lo su re of a so ci al sec ur it y nu m be r un de r 42 U.S.C.
§ 4 08 (a)( 8)

.

The Dep art m en t of Hom el an d Secu rit y se rv ed Ri os -Dia z w i t h a n o ti ce to

ap pe ar in im m ig rat io n co ur t on Sep te m be r 11

, 20 09

, ch arg in g he r wit h rem ov ab il it y

as an al ie n pr es en t in th e Uni te d St at es wit ho ut ha vi ng be en ad m it te d or pa ro le d an d

as an al ie n who ha d be en co nv ic te d of a cri m e in vo lv in g m or al tu rp it ud e. W hi le sh e

co nc ed ed rem ov ab il it y , sh e so ug ht can cel la ti on of rem ov al be cau se sh e as se rte d th at

he r m ai l frau d of

fen se was no t a cri m e in vo lv in g m or al tu rp it ud e. In th e al te rn at iv e,
sh e as ke d fo r vo lu nt ary de pa rtu re.

The i m m ig rat io n jud ge ru le d th at Ri os -Dia z ha d be en co nv ic te d of a cri m e
in vo lv in g m or al tu rp it ud e, pr et erm it te d h er app li cat io n for can cel la ti on of rem ov al

, de ni ed he r ap pl ic at io n fo r vo lu nt ary de pa rt u r e , a n d or de red he r rem ov ed fro m th e
Uni te d St at es

. The Bo ard of Im m ig rat io n App eal s affi rm ed

. Ri os -Dia z no w pe ti ti on s
fo r rev ie w, arg ui ng th at th e Bo ard erre d as a m at te r of la w in co nc lu di ng th at he r m ai l

frau d co nv ic ti on qu al ifi ed as a cri m e of m or al tu rp it ud e. W e rev ie w co ns ti tu ti on al

cl ai m s a n d qu es ti on s of la w de no vo , gi vi ng su bs ta nt ia l de fere nc e to th e Bo ard 's

in te rp ret at io n of im m ig rat io n st at ut es an d reg ul at io ns

. Ham il to n v. Hol de r, 68 0 F.3 d

10 24

, 10 26 –2 7 (8 th Ci r. 20 12 )

. We r ev ie w th e in te rp ret at io n of fed eral cri m in al

-2

-st at ut es de no vo wit ho ut acco rd in g an y de fere nc e to th e Bo ard

. Tos ta do v. Carl so n,

48 1 F .3d 10 12 , 10 14 (8t h C ir. 2 00 7)

.

Fed eral la w pr oh ib it s ad m is si on in to th e Uni te d S t a t e s of pe rs on s who ha ve
be en co nv ic te d of a cri m e in vo lv in g "m or al tu rp it ud e." 8 U.S.C. § 11 82 (a)( 2) (A)(i ).

Im m ig ran ts wit h su ch co nv ic ti on s are al so in el ig ib le fo r ca n c e l l a t io n of rem ov al

. Hern an de z-Pe rez v. Hol de r, 56 9 F.3 d 34 5, 34 7 (8 th Ci r. 20 09 ). In or de r to de te rm in e
whe th er a co nv ic ti on qu al ifi es as on e in vo lv in g m or al tu rp i t u d e , we lo ok to th e

st at ut or y la ng ua ge of th e cri m e an d no t th e un de rlyin g fact s. Id

. at 34 8. Our in qu iry

en ds if we fin d th at th ere is "n o real is ti c pr ob ab il it y " th at th e f e d e r al st at ut e un de r
whi ch th e pe rs on w a s c o n v i c te d "wo ul d be ap pl ie d to reac h co nd uc t th at do es no t

in vo lv e m or al tu rp it ud e," as op po se d to a "t he or et ic al po ss ib il it y ." Mat te r of Si lv aTrev in o, 2 4 I

. & N. Dec. 68 7, 68 9– 90 (A.G. 20 08 ) (ap pl y in g Gon zal es v. Due na sAlv arez , 54 9 U.S. 1 83 , 19 3 (2 00 7) ).

Ri os -Dia z was co nv ic te d of m ai l frau d un de r 18 U.S.C. § 13 41 whi ch req ui res

t he go ve rn m en t to pr ov e "a sc he m e to de frau d by m ean s of m at eri al fal s e

rep res en ta ti on s of pr om is es , [an d an ] in te nt to de frau d." Uni te d St at es v. McKa nr y , 62 8 F.3 d 10 10

, 10 17 (8 th Ci r. 20 10 ). The Su pr em e Co ur t ha s in st ru ct ed th at "fr au d

ha s co ns is te nt ly b een reg ard ed as

. . . wi th in th e sc o p e o f mo r a l tu rp it ud e." Jo rd an

v. De Geo rg e, 34 1 U.S. 22 3, 22 9 (1 95 1) ; se e al so Ized on m wen v. INS, 37 F.3 d 41 6,

41 7– 1 8 ( 8 t h C i r. 19 94 ). Bec au se th e in te nt to de frau d is an el em en t of m ai l frau d,

th ere is n o r e a l i s t ic pr ob ab il it y th at a pe rs on wou ld be co nv ic te d un de r § 13 41 fo r

co nd uc t t ha t d id no t i nv ol ve m or al tu rp it ud e.

Ri os -Dia z arg ue s th at th e c o n d uc t un de rlyin g he r co nv ic ti on di d no t

de m on st rat e m or al tu rp it ud e. Acco rd in g to he r, sh e on ly fai le d to ve rif y th e va li di ty

of t h e so ci al se cu rit y nu m be rs pr ov id ed by he r em pl oyees be fo re rep or ti ng th os e

nu m be rs in he r ta x ret ur ns

. Sh e rel ie s on a Nin th Ci rcu it de ci si on in whi ch th at co ur t

co nc lu de d th at us in g a fal se so ci al se cu rit y nu m be r is no t a cri m e of m or al tu rp it ud e.

-3

-Bel tra n- Tira d v. I N S

, 2 1 3 F

. 3d 11 79

, 11 83 –8 5 (9 th Ci r. 20 00 ). Our co ur t ha s

ho wev er ru le d th at whe th er a co nv ic ti on in vo lv es m or al tu rp i t u d e de pe nd s on th e

st at ut or y la ng ua ge of th e cri m e an d no t th e un de rlyin g fact s. Hern an de z-Pe rez, 56 9

F.3 d at 34 7. Mo reo ve r, Ri os -Dia z was co nv ic te d of m ai l frau d, no t si m pl y th e us e of

a fal se so ci al se cu rit y nu m be r li ke in Bel tra n- Tira d, an d ou r c o u r t h a s sp eci fic al ly

de cl in ed to fo ll ow th at de ci si on

. See Gua rd ad o- Garci a v. Hol de r, 61 5 F.3 d 90 0,

90 2– 03 (8t h C ir. 2 01 0)

.

Fo r th es e rea so ns we de ny the pe ti ti on for rev ie w of t he Bo ard 's o rd er.

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