Source: http://ca.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20070625_0000478.SCA.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2018-01-16 07:58:21
Document Index: 680024914

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1447', '§ 1447', '§ 1147', '§ 1446', '§ 1446', '§ 1446', '§ 1446', '§ 1447', '§ 1446', '§ 1447', '§ 1446']

CHANGYI YANG, PLAINTIFF,
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; EMILIO T. GONZALEZ, DIRECTOR; AND PAUL PIERRE, DISTRICT DIRECTOR, UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES, DEFENDANTS.
ORDER REMANDING CASE TO UNITED STATES CITIZEN AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES
Pending before the Court is Defendants' motion to dismiss or remand. (Doc. # 7). The Court finds this matter suitable for submission on the papers and without oral argument pursuant to Civil Local Rule 7.1(d)(1).
Plaintiff Changyi Yang is a citizen of China, and has been a lawful permanent resident of the United States since April 2001. Complaint, ¶¶ 3, 15. In February 2006, Plaintiff applied to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) for naturalization, and on June 29, 2006, Plaintiff successfully passed her naturalization interview. Compl., ¶ 16. Though Plaintiff meets all statutory requirements for naturalization, CIS failed to adjudicate Plaintiff's application for naturalization within 120 days of Plaintiff's naturalization interview. Compl., ¶ 17, 19, 20. CIS informed Plaintiff that it could not adjudicate her application because her background check was not complete. Compl., ¶ 18.
Defendant Michael Chertoff is the Director of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Compl., ¶ 4. DHS is responsible for implementing the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Compl., ¶ 4. CIS is an agency within DHS, and CIS implements those parts of the INA which allow lawful permanent residents to become naturalized. Compl., ¶ 4. Defendant Emilio T. Gonzalez is the director of CIS, and Defendant Paul M. Pierre is CIS's San Diego District Director. Compl., ¶ 5-6.
On February 6, 2007, Plaintiff filed the Complaint in this matter. (Doc. # 1). Plaintiff seeks an order requiring Defendants to promptly adjudicate Plaintiff's application for naturalization and an award of reasonable fees and costs pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act. Compl., ¶ 24. On April 12, 2007, Defendants moved to dismiss or remand Plaintiff's Complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. (Doc. # 7).
Defendants move to dismiss on the grounds that the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction because CIS has not completed its "examination" of Plaintiff's application. In the alternative, Defendants move to remand on the grounds that CIS cannot adjudicate Plaintiff's application until the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) completes Plaintiff's background check. If this Court chooses to remand the matter back to CIS with instructions to adjudicate Plaintiff's application, Defendants contend that the Court should not set a specific deadline for adjudication.
Plaintiff contends that the Court has jurisdiction over the Complaint pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1447(b). Specifically, Plaintiff contends that the Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit has interpreted 8 U.S.C. § 1447(b) as investing jurisdiction upon the district court whenever CIS fails to adjudicate an application for naturalization within 120 days from the date that CIS interviews the applicant. Plaintiff contends that remand is inappropriate because Defendants should not be able to stall Plaintiff's application indefinitely. If this Court chooses to remand the matter, Plaintiff requests that the Court set a specific deadline for adjudication of her application.
I. Subject Matter Jurisdiction Pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1147(b)
8 U.S.C. § 1446 charges CIS with investigating and adjudicating naturalization applications. See, e.g., 8 U.S.C. § 1446(a). As part of that process, 8 U.S.C. § 1446(b), provides for the "examination" of applicants. 8 U.S.C. § 1446(b) provides that:
The Attorney General shall designate employees of the Service to conduct examinations upon applications for naturalization. For such purposes any such employee . . . is authorized to take testimony concerning any matter touching or in any way affecting the admissibility of any applicant for naturalization, to administer oaths . . . and to require by subpoena the attendance and testimony of witnesses . . . . Any such employee shall, at the examination, inform the applicant of the remedies available to the applicant under section 1447 of this title.
Pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1447(b), CIS's examination of an applicant triggers a 120-day period during which CIS has exclusive jurisdiction to adjudicate a naturalization application. However, "[i]f there is a failure to make a determination under [8 U.S.C. § 1446] before the end of the 120-day period after the date on which the examination is conducted . . . the applicant may apply to the United States district court . . . for a hearing on the matter." 8 U.S.C. § 1447(b). If CIS fails to act within 120 days of the examination and the applicant properly invokes the district court's authority, the district court obtains "exclusive jurisdiction" over the matter. United States v. Hovsepian, 359 F.3d 1144, 1164 (2004).
Defendants contend that the word "examination," as used in 8 U.S.C. §§ 1446 and 1447, refers to an ongoing process, and not just to the applicant interview. Defendants further contend that Plaintiff's examination is still ongoing because the FBI has not completed Plaintiff's background check, and that therefore this Court does not have subject matter jurisdiction. Defendants contend that the word "examination" as used in the statutes is ambiguous, and that CIS's March 27, 2007 interpretation of "examination" as a "process" is entitled to deference. Def. Mot. to Dismiss at Ex. B. Plaintiff contends that a majority of courts have concluded that ...