Source: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F3/87/1319/610721/
Timestamp: 2019-07-20 17:42:10
Document Index: 117185380

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1251', '§ 1182', '§ 1251', '§ 1182', '§ 3', '§ 1182', '§ 1101', '§ 1101']

Phong A. Hoong, Petitioner, v. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Respondent, 87 F.3d 1319 (9th Cir. 1996) :: Justia
Justia › US Law › Case Law › Federal Courts › Courts of Appeals › Ninth Circuit › 1996 › Phong A. Hoong, Petitioner, v. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Respondent
Phong A. Hoong, Petitioner, v. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Respondent, 87 F.3d 1319 (9th Cir. 1996)
Submitted June 3, 1996. *Decided June 5, 1996
Hoong concedes deportability under 8 U.S.C. § 1251(a) (2) (C) based on his firearms conviction, but argues that deeming him ineligible for relief from deportation under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(c) violates Equal Protection. We considered and rejected this precise argument in Komarenko v. INS, 35 F.3d 432 (9th Cir. 1994). Like Hoong, the petitioner in Komarenko conceded deportability under 8 U.S.C. § 1251(a) (2) (C), but argued that denying him eligibility for discretionary relief under § 1182(c) violated Equal Protection. Id. at 434. We concluded that there is no violation of Equal Protection where, as here, the excludability and deportation provisions are "entirely dissimilar, and the distinction between the two classes is not arbitrary or unreasonable." Id. at 435 (citation omitted).
In light of Komarenko, the BIA's summary dismissal of Hoong's appeal was proper because the appeal lacks an arguable basis in law.1 See 8 C.F.R. § 3.1(d) (1-a) (i) (D).
Hoong's argument that he qualifies for relief under § 1182(c) because his firearms conviction was actually an "aggravated felony" under 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a) (43) is waived because he failed to present it to either the Immigration Judge or the BIA. In any event, the argument is meritless because the mere possession of a weapon does not amount to "illicit trafficking in firearms." See 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a) (43) (C)