N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT AR ON AC OSTA-M UNGUIA, AKA Aron Ac osta M uniguia , Pe titione r, v. LORETTA E. LYNC H, Attorne y Ge ne ra l, R

e sponde n t . No. 13-71440 Age n c y No. A089-511-388 M EM O R ANDUM *

On Pe tition for Re vie w of a n Orde r of the B oa rd of Im m igration Appe a ls A rgue d and Subm itte d Ja

nua ry 8, 2016 San Fran c isc o , C a lifornia B e fore : WALLAC E, NOONAN, a nd B ER ZON, C irc u i t Judge s. Aron Ac osta -M unguia , a

native and c itiz e n of M e xic o, pe titions for re vie w of the B o ard of Im

m igration Appe a ls’ (B oa

rd) orde r dism issing his a ppe a l from

an im m igration judge ’ s (IJ) de c ision finding him re m ova b le a s c ha rge d a nd thus ine l igible for a djustm e n t of sta t us unde r 8 U.S.C . § 1255(a ). W e hav e jurisdic tion



# FIL ED MAR 01 2016 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S . CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public a t ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by 9th C ir. R . 36-3.unde r 8 U.S.C . § 1252. W e re v ie w the B oa rd’ s fa c tua l findings for substa ntia l e vide nc e , Sang Yoon K

im v . Holde r , 603 F.3d 1100, 1102–03 (9th C ir. 2010), a nd de ny the pe tition for re vie w . Ac osta -M unguia

c onte nds tha

t the finding tha

t he knowingly a ssiste d or a ide d a nothe r a lie n

wa s not supporte d

by substa ntia l e vide nc e . Ac osta -M unguia a lso a rgue s tha t his dueproc e s s rights we re viola te d whe n the B oa

rd and IJ pe rm itte d the gove rnm e nt to dra w a n a dve rse infe re n c e from

his sile nc e a s to the sm uggling c ha

rge , a nd whe n he wa s not pe rm itte d to c ross-e xam ine witne sse s a ga inst him . Substa ntia l e v i de nc e supporte d

the B oa rd’ s c onc lusion tha

t Ac osta -M unguia is re m ova ble pursua

nt to 8 U.S.C . se c tion 1227(a )(1)(E)(i) a nd thus is not e ligible to a d just his sta

tus. In im

m igration proc e e dings, a

n a dve rse infe re nc e drawn from sile nc e is pe rm issiblewhe re the pe titione r is no longe r subje c t to c rim ina l prose c ution, Matte r of Gue v ara , 20 I. & N. De c . 238, 240 (B IA 1990), a nd the re is substa ntive e vide nc e in the re c ord to prove the fa c ts in dispute an d support the gove rnm e nt’ s prim a

fa c ie c a se . Se eUrooj v . Holde r , 734 F.3d 1075, 1078 (9th C ir. 2013). As found by

the B oa rd, the substa

ntive e vide nc e pre s e nte d by the gove rnm e nt wa s suffic ie nt to a l low a n a dve rse infe re nc e to be drawn from Ac osta M unguia ’ s sile n c e at his he a ring a s to the sm

uggling c ha

rge . 1 3 - 7 1 4 4 0 2The gove rnm e n t ha d the burde n to de m onstra te by c le ar, une quivoc a l, a

nd c onvinc i ng e vide nc e tha

t Ac osta -M unguia

knowingly

a s siste d othe r a lie ns in e nte ring the Unite d State s. W oodby v . IN S , 385 U.S. 276, 286 (1966). To this e nd, the g ove rnm e nt introduc e d Form I-213, without obje c tion from Ac osta -M unguia , and pre se nte d te s tim ony

from the borde r offic e r who pre pa re d the form

in 1999. Form I-213 inc lude d note s from the offic e r sta

ting tha t Ac osta -M unguia

ide ntifie d the p a sse n ge rs a s his frie nds, his border c rossing c a rd and ve hic l e we re c onfisc a te d, a

nd tha t Ac osta -M unguia

wa ive d his right to a

he aring be fore an im m igration judgeto dispute the c ha rge s. 1 The c onte nt of the form wa s e xpla ine d to Ac osta -M unguia

in his na tive la ngua ge be fore he signe d it. Upon re fre shing his m e m o ry be fore the IJ, the borde r offic e r te stifie d tha t during se c onda

ry inspe c tion, Ac osta -M unguia

inform e d him

tha t the individuals in theba c k se a t we re his frie nds, a nd re fe rre d to the m

by the ir fa lse nam e s a s sta

te d in the i r borde r c rossing c ards. The offic e r a lso te stifie d tha t whe n a borde r c rossing c ard or ve hic le is se iz e d a fte r se c onda

ry inspe c tion, it is be c a

use a supe rvisor ide ntifie d “ suffic ie nt

1 Form I-213 a lso c onta ins a

sum m ary of sta te m e nts m a de by

the ba c k se a t pa sse nge rs, la

te r ide ntifie d a s im

poste rs, sta

ting tha t Ac osta -M unguia

wa s a ware the y we re atte m

pting to e nte r the Unite d State s ille ga lly . The IJ ide ntifie d the se sta te m e nts a s ina dm issiblewhe re Ac osta -M unguia c ould not c ross-e xam ine the pa sse nge rs, a

nd e xplic itly

e xc lude d the sta

te m e nts from

c o nside ra tion in his ana ly sis. 1 3 - 7 1 4 4 0 3fa c t s” tha

t a n individual ha d knowle dge of a n atte m p t of ille g a l e ntry

into the Unite d State s with theve hic le . Ac osta -M unguia provide d no e vide nc e to c ha lle nge the Form I-213's a uthe ntic ity . W e m a y only re v e rse the B oa

rd’ s de te rm ination whe n a pe t itione r shows e vide nc e tha

t is “ so c om

pe lling tha

t no re a sona

b le fa c t-finde r c ould fa i l to find the fa c t s we re a s [pe titione r] a lle ge d.” Damon v . Ashc roft , 360 F.3d 1084, 1088 (9th C ir. 2004). W e are n o t c om p e lle d to re ve rse the B oa

rd’ s de c ision a ffirm i ng the IJ and holding tha

t the gove rnm e nt de m o nstra t e d Ac osta -M unguia ’ s re m ova bility . The B oa rd a nd IJ prope rly

dre w a n a dve rse infe re nc e from Ac o sta -M unguia ’ s sile nc e whe re the gove rnm e nt introduc e d a dditiona l, substa ntive e vide n c e in the form of the borde r offic e r’ s te stim ony and Form

I-213, e xc luding sta

te m e nts m a de by the ba c kse a t pa sse n ge rs, to support a prim a fa c ie c a s e of a lie n sm

u ggling. PE T IT IO N DE NIE D .

1 3 - 7 1 4 4 0 4A c osta-M

unguia v Ly nc h 13-71440 B ER ZON, J., dissenting, The m a jority c orre c tly re c ogniz e s tha

t in im m igration proc e e d ings, a

n Im m i gration Judgem ay prope rly draw a n a dve rse infe re n c e from

a pe titione r’ s invoc ation of his Fifth Am e ndm e nt right a ga inst se lf-inc rim inat ion. G u tie rre z v . Holde r , 662 F.3d 1083, 1091 (9th C ir. 2011). TheB oa rd of Im m igrat ion Appe a ls (“ B IA” ) ha s, howe ve r, he ld tha t sile n c e alone

c annot a de quate l y support a finding of re m ova

bility . M atte r of Gue v ara , 20 I. & N. De c . 238, 242 (B .I.A. 1990). In this c a se , the IJ e xc lude d a s he arsay sta te m e nts doc um e nte d on FormI213 m a de by

two of Ac osta -M unguia ’ s pa sse nge rs who we re una va ila ble for c rosse xam ination. S

e e He rnande

z-Guadarrama v . Ashc roft , 394 F.3d 674 (9th C ir. 2005). The se sta

te m e nts c onsiste d of a dm issions tha t the pa sse n ge rs we re

“ im poste rs” and tha

t Ac osta -M unguia

kne w this to be

the c a se . The m a

jority none the l e ss re lie s on othe r fa c tua l inform a tion supplie d by the sa m e form , inc l uding tha

t Ac osta -M unguia

ide ntifie d the pa sse nge rs a s his frie nds a nd tha t his ve hic le an d borde r c rossing c ard we re c onfisc a te d . B ut the se fa c ts a re only re le va nt e vide nc e in light of the pa sse nge rs’ he arsay a dm issions; without those a dm issions, the

e vide nc e re lie d on by

the m a jority provide s no support for the B IA’ s c onc lusion. In m y vie w, the only inform a tion in the re c o rd tha

t c a n prope rly support 

# FIL ED MAR 01 2016 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S . CO URT O F APPEALSAc osta -M unguia ’ s re m ova bility (in a ddition to the

a dve rse infe re nc e drawn from his sile nc e ) is thesta

te m e nt on theI-213 form

indic a t ing tha

t , at the tim e of the borde r inc ide nt, he wa ive d a he aring be fore an IJ to c onte s t the sm uggling c ha

rge . In his re m ova l he aring, howe v e r, Ac osta -M unguia dispute d this, c l a im ing tha t he ha d, in fa c t, re que ste d a

he aring. The IJ ne ve r m a de a fa c t ua l finding on this issue ; inste a d, his opinion sta

te d, inc orre c tly , tha

t Ac osta -M unguia

“ a d m itte d” that he ha d wa ive d his right to a

he aring. Abse nt suc h a

finding, the re is no fa c tua l support prope rly

in the re c ord to bolster the a dve rse infe re nc e drawn from Ac osta M unguia ’ s sile n c e , a s re quire d by G ue v ara . I would the re fore re m and to theB IA for a finding on this point.

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