# 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 7- 14 00

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Ch ris ti ne Ch ern os ky

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

v.

Je ffer so n B . Ses si on s, II I, Att or ne y Gene ral of t he Uni te d S ta te s

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: May 17, 2 01 8 Fi le d: Ju ly 26, 2 01 8

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Befo re SHEPHERD, KELLY, an d GRAS Z, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

__ __ __ __ __ __ KELLY, Cir cu it Ju dg e.

Can ad i an ci ti zen Ch ris ti ne Ch ern os ky pe ti ti on s fo r rev ie w of th e Bo ard of
Im m ig rat io n App eal s’s (BIA) de ni al of he r ap pl ic at io n fo r ad jus tm en t of st at us

. W e de ny her p et it io n fo r rev ie w.I.

In Ja nu ary 20 04
, Ch ern os ky en te red th e Uni te d S t a t e s o n a si x- m on th
, no nim m ig r a n t v i s it or vi sa

. Sh e ap pl ie d fo r a Mi nn es ot a dr iv er’s li cen se , us in g an
ap pl ic at io n fo rm th at in cl ud ed a se ct io n th at al lo wed ap pl ic an ts to reg is te r to vo te by ch eck in g th ree bo xe s: (1 ) st at in g th e ap pl ic an t is a Uni te d St at es ci ti zen ; (2 ) who wil l be at le as t 18 b y th e ne xt el ect io n; an d (3 ) req ue st in g to be reg is te red to vo te

. The

vo te r-re gi st rat io n se ct io n al so req ui red an ad di ti on al si gn at ur e cert if yi n g th at th e
ap pl ic an t was a Uni te d Stat es cit iz en . Che rn os ky di d no t chec k any of th e bo xe s or
cert ify th at sh e was a Uni te d St at es ci ti zen

. Ne v e rth el es s, Mi nn es ot a of fic ia ls

reg is te red he r to vo te , an d m ai le d he r a vo te r reg is tra ti on card
, whi ch as si gn ed he r a

vo te r nu m

be r an d pr ov id ed in fo rm at io n ab ou t he r po ll in g pl ace. Ch ern os k y t he n

vo te d in th e 20 04 el ect io n. As a Can ad ia n ci ti zen , sh e was no t el ig ib le to do so

. Sh e al so ov ers ta y ed he r vi sa

.

Afte r th e go ve rn m en t in it ia te d rem ov al pr oc eed in gs , Ch ern os ky ad m it te d sh e

was rem ov ab le be cau se sh e ha d ov ers ta y ed h e r v i s a , bu t de ni ed be in g rem ov ab le ba se d on he r 20 04 vo te

. Sh e al so ap pl ie d fo r ad jus tm en t of st at us un de r th e Vio le nc e 1 Aga in st W om en Act (VAW A), al le gi ng ab us e by he r Am eri can ex -h us ba nd
, bu t th e
go ve rn m en t de ni ed he r ap pl ic at io n. In th e go ve rn m en t’s vi ew, Ch ern os ky kn owi ng ly vi ol a t e d f

e d e r al an d st at e el ect io n la ws whe n sh e vo te d, whi ch ren de red he r in ad m is si bl e to th e Uni te d S ta te s an d p recl ud ed he r fro m ob ta in in g VAWA reli ef.

In res po ns e, Ch ern os ky so ug ht to in vo ke “ en tra pm en t by es to pp el ,” a de fen se th at can be “ av ai la bl e to so m eo ne who m ak es co m pl et e an d accu rat e rep res en ta ti on s
to a pu bl ic of

fic ia l an d th en rece iv es pe rm is si on fro m th at of fic ia l, whe n act in g wit hi n

In th is ap pe al , Che rn os ky chal le ng es th e im m ig rat io n jud ge ’s d et erm in at io n 1 th at sh e is rem ov ab le ba se d on he r 20 04 vo te

. W e ne ed no t reac h th at is su e, ho wev er, be cau se sh e d oe s n ot di sp ut e th at sh e is rem ov ab le ba se d o n h er o ve rs ta y

.
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-th e sc op e of hi s or he r au th or it y .” Fi tz pa tri ck v. Ses si on s, 84 7 F.3 d 91 3, 91 5 (7 th 2
Ci r. 20 17 ). In o th er wo rd s, “ [w]hen a pu bl ic off ic ia l d ire ct s a per so n t o p erfo rm an
act , wit h as su ran ce th at th e act is la wfu l un de r th e ci rcu m st an ces , th e pe rs on do es no t
act wit h th e in te nt r e q u ire d fo r co nv ic ti on .” Kim an i v. Hol de r, 69 5 F.3 d 66 6, 67 0 (7 th Ci r. 20 12 ). Acco rd in g to Ch ern os ky, sh e di d no t kn owi ng ly vo te in vi ol at io n of

an y l a w b e c a u s e Mi nn es ot a of fic ia ls ha d m is le d he r in to be li ev in g sh e co ul d vo te whe n t he y

sen t h er t he vo te r reg is tra ti on card

.

In Mi nn es ot a, v o t ers are req ui red to si gn a ro st er cert ifyin g, am on g ot he r th in gs , th at th ey are a Uni te d St at es ci ti ze n b efo re th ey vo te in an y gi ve n el ect io n. See Mi nn

. St at

. § 20 4C

. 1 0 (a) (“ An in di vi du al se ek in g to vo te sh al l si gn a po ll in g pl ace r os te r . . . w hi ch st at es th at th e in di vi du al is

. . . a ci ti zen of th e Uni te d S ta te s

. . . .”). The 20 04 ro st er from th e po ll in g lo cat io n where Ch ern os ky vo te d had be en de st ro y ed by th e ti m e he r cas e was read y fo r ad jud ic at io n by th e im

m ig rat io n jud ge

. In st ead
, th e go ve rn m en t su bm it te d a bl an k co py of th e 20 14 ve rs io n of th e ro st er fo rm th at wou ld ha ve be en us ed
, an d th at Ch ern os ky wou ld h a v e b e e n r eq ui red to si gn be fo re sh e vo te d. As rel ev an t, th e ro st er in cl ud es a di sc la im er st at in g: “ I cert ify th at
I am at le as t 18 y ears of ag e an d a ci ti zen of th e Uni te d St at es ,” an d “ I un de rs ta nd th at gi vi ng fal se in fo rm at io n i s a f el on y .”

The im m ig rat io n jud ge de te rm in ed th at Ch ern os ky was in ad m is si bl e be cau se he r 20 04 vo te vi ol at ed th ree el ect io n la ws. Mo re sp eci fic al ly, th e im m ig rat io n jud ge 3

At or al arg um en t, th e go ve rn m en t co nc ed ed th at en tra pm en t by es to pp el 2
ap pl ie s in im m ig rat io n pr oc eed in gs

. See Keat hl ey v. Hol de r, 69 6 F.3 d 64 4, 64 6 (7 th Ci r. 20 12 ) (“ [T]he on ly way to de te rm in e wh e t h e r a p e rs on ha s vi ol at ed a cri m in al
st at ut e is to ex am in e bo th th e el em en ts of th at la w an d al l de fen se s pr op erl y rai se d.” ). Thi s co ur t ha s ne ve r de ci de d whe th er th is de fen se is av ai la bl e in th e im m i g r a t i o n

co nt ex t, an d we n eed no t re so lv e th e is su e to da y

. Tho se la ws were Mi nn . S ta t. § 20 1.0 14 (to be eli gi bl e to vo te , a n in di vi du al 3

m us t, in te r al ia
, be a Uni te d St at es ci ti zen ; “ Any in di vi du al who vo te s who kn owi ng ly

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-fo un d th at , at th e ti m e sh e cas t he r ba ll ot , Ch ern os ky kn ew sh e was vo ti ng un la wfu ll y

“ be cau se [th e go ve rn m en t] ha s es ta bl is he d by cl ear an d co nv i n ci ng ev id en ce th at [s he ] was ad vi se d at he r po ll in g pl ac e t h a t o n l y ci ti zen s are el ig ib le to vo te .” The
BIA di s mi s s e d Ch ern os ky’ s ad m in is tra ti ve ap pe al
, reas on in g th at th e im m ig rat io n jud ge ’s fact ua l fi nd in g was no t cl earl y erro ne ou s.

II.

W he re, as he re, “ th e BIA ad op ts th e [imm ig rat io n jud ge ’s] de ci si on , bu t ad ds

reas on in g of it s own , we rev ie w bo th de ci si on s.” Set ia di v. Gon zal es , 43 7 F.3 d 71 0,
71 3 (8 th Ci r. 20 06 ). Adm in is tra ti ve fin di ng s of fact
, i n c l u d i ng cred ib il it y de te rm in at ion s, ar e re vie w ed fo r substan ti al ev id en ce; th ey are “ co nc lu si ve un le ss an y

reas on ab le ad

jud ic at or wou ld be co m

pe ll ed to c o n c l u d e to th e co nt rary.” Ali v. Hol de r, 68 6 F .3d 53 4, 5 38 (8t h C ir. 2 01 2) (qu ot in g 8 U.S.C. § 1 25 2( b) (4 )(B) ).

As an al ie n se ek in g ad

jus tm en t of st at us , Ch ern os ky was req ui red to es ta bl is h he r ad m is si bi li ty “ cl earl y an d be y on d do ub t.” Has hm i v. Mu ka se y , 53 3 F.3 d 70 0, 70 2 (8 th Ci r. 20 08 ). To qu al ify f o r ad jus tm en t of st at us un de r VAW A, an al ie n m us t sh ow th at sh e m eet s VAWA’ s re qu ire m en ts an d t ha t sh e is ot he rwis e ad m is si bl e to th e Uni te d St at es

. See 8 U.S.C. § 12 55 (a). An al ie n is in ad m is si bl e to th e Uni te d
St at es if, as rel ev an t h ere, sh e “ ha s v ot ed in vi ol at io n o f an y Fed eral , Sta te , or l oc al

co n st it ut io na l pr ov is io n, st at ut e, or di na nc e, or reg ul at io n.” 8 U.S.C. § 1 18 2( a)(1 0) (D)(i ).

is no t el ig ib le to vo te is gu il ty of a fel on y

. ” ) ; Arti cl e 7, Sect io n 1 of th e Mi nn es ot a Co ns ti tu ti on ( p e r so ns who ha ve no t be en Uni te d St at es ci ti zen s fo r at le as t th ree

m on th s are no t en ti tl ed or pe rm it te d to vo te in an y Mi nn es ot a el ect io n) ; an d 18 U.S.C. § 61 1 ( mak i n g i t i ll eg al fo r an y “ an y al ie n to vo te in an y el ect io n he ld ,” at le as t in
pa rt, t o e le ct can di da te s fo r va rio us fed eral off ic es ).

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-Ch ern os ky arg ue s th at th e im m ig rat io n jud ge di d no t co ns id er he r

en tra pm en t-b y -es to p p el de fen se

. W e di sa gr ee. The im m ig rat io n jud ge ga ve du e

co ns id erat io n to he r en tra pm en t-b y -es to pp el arg um en t, bu t ul ti m at el y , m ad e a fact ua l
fin di ng on th at is su e th at was ad ve rs e to Ch ern os ky. The im m ig rat io n jud ge

ex pl ai ne d th at , al th ou gh th e go ve rn m en t ha d no t pr od uc ed th e 20 04 ro s t er fro m Ch ern os ky’ s po ll in g lo cat io n, Mi nn es ot a po ll in g pl aces are r e q u i r ed by st at ut e to

m ai nt ai n ro st ers warn in g po te nt ia l vo te rs th at on ly Uni te d St at es ci t i z e n s can vo te ,
an d vo te rs are req ui red to si gn th os e ro st ers

. And th e im m ig rat io n jud ge reas on ab ly de te rm in ed th at th is req ui rem en t es ta bl is he d by cl ear a nd co nv in ci ng ev id en ce th at

su ch a ro st er wo ul d h av e b een in pl ace at Cher no sk y ’s po ll in g lo cat io n in 20 04 an d
th at sh e wou ld ha ve be en req ui red to si gn it be fo re sh e vo te d. The refo re, su bs ta nt ia l

ev id en ce su pp or ts th e im m ig rat io n ju d g e ’s fin di ng th at Ch ern os ky kn ew sh e was in el ig ib le to vo te in th e 20 04 el ect io n an d di d so an y way

. Ch ern os ky ha s no t sh own cl earl y an d be y on d do ub t th at sh e was en ti tl ed to an en tra pm en t-b y -es to pp el de fen se

.

III.

Acco rd in gl y , we den y

Ch ern os ky’ s p et it io n fo r rev ie w.

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