Opinion ID: 484728
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The 1978 Operating Instruction

Text: 25 Applying these two requirements to the 1978 Operating Instruction, we conclude that it constituted a general statement of policy, and thus could be validly repealed and superseded without notice-and-comment proceedings. 12 The 1978 Instruction operated only prospectively, and did not establish a binding norm that would limit the district director's discretion. The Instruction expressly authorizes the district director to consider [any] individual facts that he may feel appropriate in addition to the five enumerated factors in the instruction. See Ryder, 716 F.2d at 1377. It requires him to evaluate whether deporting or excluding an individual petitioning for deferred action status would be unconscionable or result in undue hardship because of the existence of appealing humanitarian factors : these terms allow for great agency latitude and discretion, and cannot be viewed as establishing a binding norm. See Jean, 711 F.2d at 1482 n. 23 (suggesting that a standard that permits the granting of relief in cases where there are significant humanitarian reasons is so broad that the agency official is free to grant relief and is not constrained in his discretion). As a result, we conclude that the 1978 Operating Instruction constitutes a general statement of policy under section 553, and could be repealed validly without notice-and-comment proceedings.