Source: http://openjurist.org/658/f2d/169
Timestamp: 2013-05-25 09:50:13
Document Index: 17034636

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1251', '§ 1254', '§ 245', '§ 244', '§ 1254', '§ 1254', '§ 1254', '§ 1105', '§ 1254']

658 F2d 169 Ravancho v. Immigration and Naturalization Service | OpenJurist
658 F. 2d 169 - Ravancho v. Immigration and Naturalization Service	Home658 f2d 169 ravancho v. immigration and naturalization service
658 F2d 169 Ravancho v. Immigration and Naturalization Service 658 F.2d 169
Alejandro RAVANCHO and Zenaida Ravancho, Petitioners,v.IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE, Respondent.
No. 79-2646.
Submitted Under Third Circuit Rule 12(6) Aug. 5, 1980.Reheard Before Original Panel June 8, 1981.Decided Aug. 26, 1981.
This case is before us on rehearing before the original panel following our exercise of our discretionary authority to recall the certified judgment issued in lieu of mandate, an action which we take only in "unusual circumstances." American Iron and Steel Institute v. EPA, 560 F.2d 589 (3d Cir. 1977), cert. denied, 435 U.S. 914, 98 S.Ct. 1467, 55 L.Ed.2d 505 (1978). We followed that practice in this case so that we could consider the contention of respondent Immigration and Naturalization Service that our original decision is contrary to the subsequent decision of the Supreme Court in INS v. Wang, --- U.S. ----, 101 S.Ct. 1027, 67 L.Ed.2d 123 (1981). On consideration of the parties' additional briefs and oral arguments, we believe that the primary basis for our original decision, that the Board abused its discretion in refusing to reopen the record to consider psychiatric data not available during previous hearings, is not foreclosed or undermined by the Wang decision, and we once again conclude a remand to the Board of Immigration Appeals is appropriate.
Zenaida Ravancho and her husband, Alejandro Ravancho, are both citizens of the Philippines who entered the United States on November 7, 1968 and December 19, 1968 respectively. On December 10, 1969, their daughter Patricia was born in the United States. Zenaida and Alejandro Ravancho were authorized to remain in the United States until February 7, 1974, but remained beyond their authorized stay and were charged with being deportable under 8 U.S.C. § 1251(a)(2) (1976). At the hearings before the immigration judge on February 1, 1978 and on March 15, 1978, the Ravanchos conceded deportability and sought to establish that deportation should be suspended on the ground of "extreme hardship" as provided for in 8 U.S.C. § 1254(a)(1) (1976).1
The thrust of the respondent's position on rehearing is that "(t)he decision in this case is incorrect because this court substituted its own judgment for that of the Board of Immigration Appeals in determining what will constitute extreme hardship warranting suspension of deportation," Respondent's Brief on Rehearing, p. 7, and thus is contrary to I.N.S. v. Wang, --- U.S. ----, 101 S.Ct. 1027, 67 L.Ed.2d 123 (1981), decided after this court's original decision. Therefore our inquiry must focus upon the Supreme Court's Wang decision to determine whether it requires us to reverse our previous disposition remanding this matter to the Board.
We turn to the consideration of the Wang decision. The Wang case involved denial by the Board of a second petition to reopen filed by the petitioners, aliens who had overstayed their authorization. The Wangs had originally been unsuccessful in seeking adjustment of status under § 245 of the Act, and then filed the second motion to reopen their deportation proceedings, this time seeking suspension under § 244 of the Act. Their motion alleged that deportation would cause both economic harm to themselves and "extreme hardship to respondents' two American-born children because neither child spoke Korean and would thus lose 'educational opportunities' if forced to leave this country." INS v. Wang, 101 S.Ct. at 1030. The Board found the Wangs had failed to present a prima facie case warranting reopening and denied their motion without a hearing. The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed, finding that the Wangs had alleged a sufficient prima facie case of extreme hardship to entitle them to a hearing.
Although respondent argues that the psychiatric evaluation does not demonstrate "severe hardship", we do not understand it to dispute the general proposition that psychological trauma may be a relevant factor in determining whether a United States citizen child will suffer "extreme hardship" within the statute. Thus, had this or any other relevant factor been disregarded by the immigration judge or the Board when the original determination was made, such action would constitute an abuse of discretion. See, e. g., Lukens Steel Co. v. Klutznick, 629 F.2d 881 (3d Cir. 1980); Mobil Oil Corp. v. Department of Energy, 610 F.2d 796 (Em.App.1979), cert. denied, 446 U.S. 937, 100 S.Ct. 2156, 64 L.Ed.2d 790 (1980). Similarly, if petitioners present a petition to reopen with evidence which is material and was previously unavailable, and the substantive determination is one which must be made on the basis of a consideration of all of the relevant factors, a refusal to reopen would be justified only if the Board found that the cumulative effect of the new evidence could not have affected the decision. No such finding was made in this case.
I would deny the petition for review and have previously set forth my observations in a dissent reported with the original majority opinion. There I expressed the view that the petitioners had failed to show that the Board abused its discretion in refusing to reopen or reconsider its decision denying adjustment of the petitioners' status and ordering their deportation. I restate those views here because the original opinions have been withdrawn from publication upon the grant of the government's motion for rehearing in light of the Supreme Court's subsequent decision in I.N.S. v. Wang, --- U.S. ----, 101 S.Ct. 1027, 67 L.Ed.2d 123 (1981) (per curiam). See Lovell v. Snow, 637 F.2d 170 (1st Cir. 1981). In addition to restating my views, I will set forth my disagreements with the recast majority opinion. Essentially, the basis of our disagreement then and now is over the scope of judicial review of INS discretion.
The majority have confused the question of statutory eligibility under 8 U.S.C. § 1254 and the question of whether the Board can consider the totality of the circumstances in exercising its discretion. See maj. op. typescript at 172. As the Supreme Court made clear in INS v. Bagamasbad, 429 U.S. 24, 25-26, 97 S.Ct. 200-201, 50 L.Ed.2d 190 (1976) (per curiam), the Board may, but need not, exercise its discretion in favor of a petitioner once it is demonstrated that he has met the statutory requirements for relief. On the other hand the Board may properly " 'pretermit the question of statutory eligibility and deny the application ... as an exercise of discretion' " because of misrepresentations to the immigration authorities. Id. at ---- (quoting the Board's decision); see Hintopoulos v. Shaughnessy, 353 U.S. 72, 77, 77 S.Ct. 618, 621, 1 L.Ed.2d 652 (1957). Thus, I have no quarrel with the immigration judge's determination that the petitioners met the technical requirements of 8 U.S.C. § 1254, by proving that for "seven years immediately preceding the date of application" for suspension of deportation they were "person(s) of good moral character." The undisputed facts are that their lying and cheating, and in Mr. Ravancho's case, his blatant forgery, took place earlier. I mention their sordid past conduct because the majority's bland recitation of the background of this case fails to supply the full flavor of the relevant material that was before the Board when it exercised its discretion in denying relief. Recognizing that these facts are not determinative, I nevertheless adhere to the view that the deceptive conduct of the petitioners extending back to 1968 should not be ignored by this court, the Attorney General or the Board. See INS v. Bagamasbad, 429 U.S. at 25-26, 97 S.Ct. at 200-201, and the decision it reversed, Bagamasbad v. INS, 531 F.2d 111, 116-18 (3d Cir. 1976) (in banc).
My principal disagreement with the majority, however, is their cavalier treatment of the Supreme Court's decision in I. N. S. v. Wang, --- U.S. ----, 101 S.Ct. 1027, 67 L.Ed.2d 123 (1981) (per curiam). While not identical with the facts presented here, Wang addresses the specific problem before us in this case: the appropriate scope of judicial review of INS discretion. Unlike the majority, I read that decision broadly because I believe that the Court was deciding more than the issue presented by the precise facts before it. The Court was signalling to the courts of appeals the proper degree of deference to be accorded the Board's decisions on reopening. This reading is mandated because the Court did not stop with identifying the ninth circuit's error in ignoring the INS regulation requiring a petition to reopen to be supported by affidavits. That error alone would have justified the decision. Instead, the Court identified what it described as the circuit court's "fundamental" error of improvidently encroaching on the discretionary authority of the Attorney General and his designees. My reading of Wang convinces me that the majority here commit the same fundamental error as did the ninth circuit.5
Quoted at --- U.S. at ---- fn. 5, 101 S.Ct. at 1031 fn. 5. The Court quoted this language in connection with its recognition that the regulation providing for a procedure to reopen is framed negatively; it directs that the Board may not reopen absent a showing of specified conditions: "Thus the regulations may be construed to provide the Board with discretion in determining under what circumstances a proceeding should be reopened." Id. The Court then explained the legitimate government interest in limiting conditions on which reopening would be granted. The majority here, like the discredited ninth circuit Wang court, would require a reopening upon a minimal showing. See --- U.S. at ----, 101 S.Ct. at 1031. This deprives the Board of its discretionary authority to determine under what circumstances reopening should be granted.
The majority pay only lip service to the legitimate interest of the government "in creating official procedures for handling motions to reopen deportation proceedings so as readily to identify those cases raising new and meritorious considerations." Wang, --- U.S. at ----, 101 S.Ct. at 1031. The reason for according such procedures deference is clear: it is unfair to allow those aliens who have deliberately flouted the immigration laws to find shelter in those same laws, absent extraordinary circumstances, while requiring patient, law-abiding citizens of foreign states to follow the letter and spirit of the laws while awaiting a quota. See Acosta v. Gaffney, 558 F.2d 1153 (3d Cir. 1977). The minimal showing that satisfies the majority will inevitably bring about further delays in this case, and worse, the decision invites any similarly situated alien to begin anew a groundless course of agency and judicial proceedings.
Section 244(a)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1254(a)(1), provides in part:
This court has jurisdiction to review a denial of a motion to reopen proceedings before the Board of Immigration Appeals pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1105a. Giova v. Rosenberg, 379 U.S. 18, 85 S.Ct. 156, 13 L.Ed.2d 90 (1964), rev'g 308 F.2d 347 (9th Cir. 1962); Bufalino v. INS, 473 F.2d 728, 730 (3d Cir.), cert. denied, 412 U.S. 928, 93 S.Ct. 2751, 37 L.Ed.2d 155 (1973). In such a case, our scope of review is limited to whether the Board abused its discretion. Jacobe v. INS, 578 F.2d 42, 45 (3d Cir. 1978)
All persons who have overstayed their visa, and therefore seek suspension of deportation under 8 U.S.C. § 1254(a)(1), as well as those who have entered illegally, have by one act or other "deceived" our administrative officials. In recognition that such "deception" represents merely an avid and irrepressible desire to remain and live in this country, Congress has enacted the statute in question, the former Chief Executive has granted entry to more than 125,000 illegal entrants, see, Pres. Determination No. 80-16, 45 Fed.Reg. 28,079 (1980) (Cuban refugees), and the present administration has proposed a plan which would grant amnesty for many illegal aliens in this country before January 1, 1980. See Immigration Plan Includes Amnesty, Tighter Controls, Wash. Post, July 31, 1981, at 1
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