N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT

B ALM OR E A. HER

NANDEZ, AKA Jose He rnande z -R o drigue z , AKA C irilo R odrigue z -He rande z , Pe titione r,
v. LORETTA E. LYNC H, Attorne y Ge ne ra l, R

e sponde n t . No. 12-71986 Age n c y No. A094-395-669
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 a nd Subm itte d

August 12, 2015 San Fran c isc o , C a lifornia B e fore : REINHAR

DT, NOONAN, a

n d C ALLAHAN, C irc uit Judge s . B a lm ore Alc ide s He rnande z c ha lle nge s the B oa rd of Im m igration Appe a ls’ (B IA) dism issa l of his re que st for a dm inistra tive c losure of his re m o va l proc e e dings pursua

nt to pa ra g ra ph 19 of the se ttle m e nt a gre e m e nt e nte re d in Ame ric an Baptist C

hurc he s v . Thornburgh , 760 F. Supp. 796, 805–06 (N.D. C a l.



# FIL ED
SEP 02 2015 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 . 36-3.1991) (the A BC a gre e m e nt). B e c a use the pla in la

n gua g e of the ABC a gre e m e nt
e ntitle s a n ABC c la s s m e m

be r to “ a sk . . . theB IA to a dm inistra tive ly c lose his or he r c a se ,” i d . at 8 0 5, we grant the pe tition for re v ie w and re m and for the B IA to
a djudic a te He rnande z ’ s re que st for a dm inistra tive c losure on its m e rits. 1. The A BC litiga

tion involve d a

c l a ss-a c tion la

wsuit file d by

“ c hurc he s, orga niz a tions, a

n d individua ls on be ha lf of m ore tha n 300,000 a sy lum a

pplic ants from El Sa l va dor a

nd Gua te m a la .” C

haly -Garc ia v . Unite d State s , 508 F.3d 1201, 1202–03 (9th C ir. 2007) (de sc ribing the A BC a gre e m e nt a nd its ba c k ground); In re Morale s , 21 I. & N. De c . 130, 132 (B IA 1995) (sa m e ). The c o m

p la int a lle ge d tha

t the g ove rnm e nt ha d sy ste m a tic a lly viola te d the R e fuge e Ac t

of 1980, Pub. L. No. 96–212, 94 Sta

t. 102, in the

proc e ssing of Sa lva dora

n a nd Gua te m a la n a s y lum
a pplic a tions. Se e C

haly -Garc ia , 508 F.3d a

t 1202. On Ja

nua ry 31, 1991, the distric t c o urt a

pprove d a se ttle m e nt a gre e m e nt, whic h it publishe d a s pa rt of its orde r. A BC , 760 F. Supp. 796. The a gre e m e n t provide s tha

t “ a ll Sa lva d orans in the U nite d State s a s of Se pte m be r 19, 1990,” who ha

ve not be e n c onvic t e d of a n
a ggrav a t e d fe lony

and who ha

ve pe rfe c te d

the ir rights by

ta king steps spe c i fie d in the a gre e m e nt, a

re e ligible for “ a

de novo, una

p pe a la ble a sy l um

a djudic a tion be fore an Asy lum Offic e r, inc luding a ne w inte rvie w, unde r the re gula tions in
e ffe c t on Oc tobe r 1, 1990.” Id. a t 799–800. 2At issue in this c a se is a c la ss m e m

be r’ s right unde r para gra

p h 19 of the ABC
a gre e m e nt to re que st a dm i nistra tive c losure of a dve rsaria l re m ova l “ proc e e dings be fore an Im

m igration Judge or [the B IA] pe nding a ne w a sy lum a djudic a tion” be fore the U.S. C itiz e nship a nd Im m igration Se rvic e (USC IS). Morale s , 21 I. & N. De c . at 133. Pa

ra gra ph 19 sta te s, in re le va

nt pa rt, tha t “ any c la ss m e m

b e r . . . whose [re m ova l] proc e e ding wa s c om m e nc e d a fte r Nove m

be r 30, 1990, . . . may
a sk the Im

m igration C ourt or the B IA to a dm inistra tive l y c lose his or he r c a se an d the c a se will be a dm inistra tive ly c lose d unle ss the c la ss m e m be r ha s be e n
c onvic te d of a

n a ggravate d fe lony

or is subje c t

to de te ntion unde r para gra ph 17.” ABC , 760 F. Supp. a

t 805. Pa ra gra ph 17, in turn, sta

te s tha t qua l ify ing c la ss
m e m b e rs m ay be de ta ine d in im

m igration c ustody

only if the y “ (1) have be e n
c onvic te d of a

c rim e involving m

ora l turpitudefor whic h the se nte n c e a c tua lly im pose d e xc e e de d a

te rm of im prisonm e nt in e xc e ss of six m onths; or (2) pose a
nationa l se c urity

risk; or (3) posea

thre a t to publicsa fe ty .” Id. a t 804. 2. The gove rnm e n t doe s not dispute tha t He rnande z is a

n ABC c la ss
m e m b e r who is e ntitle d to re que st a dm inistra tive c losure of his re m ova l

3proc e e dings. 1 R at he r, the gove rnm e n t a

rgue s tha t He rnande z wa ive d his re que st for a d m inistra t ive c losure by not e xha

u sting a dm i nistra

t ive re m e die s be fore the B IA. This a

rgum e nt is without m

e rit. He rnande z c le arly

invoke d pa

ra gra ph 19 of the A BC a gre e m e nt in se e king a dm inistra tive c losure from the B IA. The gove rnm e n t a lso c onte nds tha t pa ra gra ph 19 “ c onte m

plat e s tha t e ithe r the [B IA] or the im

m igration c ourts will a djudic a te ” a re que st for a d

m inistra tive
c losure . The re fore , a c c ording to the gove rnm e nt, the B IA’ s de c ision tha t He rnande z “ ne e de d to pursue his Ele c tion be fore the im m igrat ion judge , in no wa y viola te d the pla in la

ngua ge of pa

ra gra ph 19.” This a

rgum e n t fa ils unde r pa

ra gra ph 19’ s pla in la

n gua ge , whic h provide s tha t A BC c l a ss m e m

be rs “ m ay a sk the Im m i gra tion C o urt or the

BIA to a dm inistra

t ive ly c lose his or he r c a se .” A BC , 760 F. Supp. a

t 805 (e m pha sis a d de d). The gove rnm e nt’ s inte rpre tation of pa ra gra ph 19 re a ds “ or the B IA” o u t of the a g re e m e nt a nd thus is re

je c te d. C haly -Garc ia ,

1 At ora l a

rgum e nt the gove rnm e nt a rgue d for the first tim e tha t, unde r pa ra gra ph 21 of the ABC a gre e m e nt, He rnande z is not e ntitle d to re que st a dm inistra

tive c losure be c a

use he fa ile d to m ake the re que st be fore the im m igration c ourt ha d e nte re d a fina l re m ova l orde r. Eve n a ssum ing tha t pa ra gra ph 21 a pplie s to re m ova l proc e e dings c om m e nc e d a fte r Nove m

be r 30, 1990, we que stion thepa

ra gra ph’ s a pplic a tion to this c a s e . He rnande z sought a dm inistra

tive c losure while re m ova l proc e e dings re m a ine d pe nding be fore the B IA, a fte r the g o ve rnm e nt sought a nd wa s gra

nte d a re m and. W e do not re a c h the gove rnm e nt’ s a

rgum e nt, howe v e r, be c a

use it wa s not ra ise d

in its brie fs. Gre e nw o od v . FAA , 28 F.3d 971, 977 (9th C ir. 1994) (“ W e re vie w only issue s whic h a re argue d spe c ific a lly

and distinc tly

in a pa rty ’ s ope ning brie f.” ). 4508 F.3d a

t 1202–03 (re fusing to a dopt a n inte rpre tation of the ABC a g re e m e nt tha t would re a d a

c l a use out of the a gre e m e nt). Ne ithe r the 30-da

y tim e lim it for filing a

notic e of a

p pe a l with the B IA unde r 8 C .F.R . § 1003.38(b) nor the B IA’ s pla c e -of-filing rule unde r 8 C
. F.R . § 1003.2(a) strip the B IA of jurisdic t ion to de c ide an ABC c la ss m e m be r’ s re que st for
a dm inistra

tive c losure
. Se e He rnande z v . Holde r , 738 F.3d 1099, 1102 (9th C ir. 2013); Irigoy e n–Brione

s v . Holde r , 644 F.3d 943, 949 (9th C ir. 2011). M ore ove r, unde r the ABC a gre e m e nt, a c la ss m e m

be r’ s right to se e k a dm inistra tive c losure is not qua lifie d by any

proc e dura l re quire m e nts othe r tha n “ a sk[ing] the B IA.” ABC , 760 F. Supp. a

t 805. Upon suc h re que st to “ the B IA . . . the c a se will be
a dm inistra

tive ly c lose d unle ss the c la ss m e m

be r ha s be e n c o nvic te d of a n
a ggrav a t e d fe lony

or is subje c t to de te ntion unde r para g ra ph 17.” Id
. 3. The gove rnm e n t a

ppe ars to c o nc e de tha

t He rnande z is ne ithe r a

n
a ggrav a t e d fe lon nor subje c t to de te ntion unde r para gra ph 17. W e re m and for the B IA to de te rm ine He rnan de z ’ s e ntitle m e nt to a dm inistra tive c losure in the first insta nc e , c onsiste nt with our de c ision. Se e IN S v . Ve ntura , 537 U.S. 12, 18 (2002). As He rnande z is a

wa iting a n a sy lum inte rvie w with theUSC IS a nd hope s to a pply for re lie f unde r Se c tion 203 of the Nic ara g ua

n Adjustm e n t a

nd C e ntra l Am e ric an

5R e lie f Ac t be fore the inte rvie w oc c urs, we trust tha t the B IA’ s de c ision will be
e xpe ditious. Pe tition G RANT E D and RE M ANDE D.

6