Opinion ID: 382706
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Named Petitioners

Text: 4 Turning to the effect of the April 10, 1979 regulations upon the claims advanced by the named petitioners, we note at the outset several well established restraints on the exercise of federal jurisdiction. The federal courts are said to be of limited jurisdiction, see County Court of Ulster County, N. Y. v. Allen, 442 U.S. 140, 99 S.Ct. 2213, 2223, 60 L.Ed.2d 777 (1979). The Constitution of the United States extends the judicial Power of the federal government only to Cases or Controversies. U.S.Const., art. III, § 2. The case or controversy requirement demands, inter alia, that a cause of action before a federal court present a justiciable controversy. Moreover, no justiciable controversy is presented ... when the question sought to be adjudicated has been mooted by subsequent developments.... Flast v. Cohen, 392 U.S. 83, 95, 88 S.Ct. 1942, 1949, 20 L.Ed.2d 947 (1968) (footnote omitted). See also Benton v. Maryland, 395 U.S. 784, 788, 89 S.Ct. 2056, 2059, 23 L.Ed.2d 707 (1969). Clearly, the federal courts require vitality of a lawsuit at all stages of the action, not merely at its institution. Defunis v. Odegaard, 416 U.S. 312, 319, 94 S.Ct. 1704, 1707, 40 L.Ed.2d 164 (1974); Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 125, 93 S.Ct. 705, 712, 35 L.Ed.2d 147 (1973); Carr v. Saucier, 582 F.2d 14, 16 (5th Cir. 1978); Brown v. Liberty Loan Corp. of Duval, 539 F.2d 1355 (5th Cir. 1976), cert. denied, 430 U.S. 949, 97 S.Ct. 1588, 51 L.Ed.2d 797 (1977); McDonald v. Oliver, 525 F.2d 1217, 1255 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 817, 97 S.Ct. 61, 50 L.Ed.2d 77 (1976). Striking at the very heart of federal subject matter jurisdiction, 7 a mootness issue quite clearly can be raised sua sponte if not addressed by the parties. State of Alabama ex rel. Baxley v. Woody, 473 F.2d 10, 12-13 (5th Cir. 1973). 5 In this appeal, we observe that the named petitioners have sought from the outset to present their claims for political asylum to an immigration judge. Under the regulations that became effective on April 10, 1979, see 44 Fed.Reg. 21,253-21,259 (1979), each named petitioner in the cases before us has the right to exactly the hearing he sought. That newly promulgated regulations immediately applicable to litigants in a given case can have the effect of mooting what once was a viable case is without doubt. Carr v. Saucier, 582 F.2d 14 (5th Cir. 1978) (amendment of federal regulation under attack may moot controversy); Jeffers v. Louisiana State Univ., 511 F.2d 131 (5th Cir. 1975) (amendment of university regulation under constitutional attack moots controversy); Logan v. West Orange-Cove Independent School District, 440 F.2d 1076 (5th Cir. 1971) (repeal of school regulation under constitutional attack moots controversy). 8 Furthermore, the government has articulated quite clearly that (a)ll petitioners in these three consolidated habeas corpus cases now are entitled to hearings on their asylum claims before immigration judges. Appellant's Reply Brief at 17. Indeed, the government concedes this to be required by the new regulations, 8 C.F.R. § 236.3 (1980). Accordingly, as to the named petitioners there exists no viable controversy over Paragraph A 9 of the district court's order, and the appeal therefrom is moot. 6 Paragraph B 10 of the district court's order, as supplemented by the extensive notice requirements of Schedules A & B, essentially requires the INS to inform for a period of six months potential political asylum claimants of their new rights under the April 10, 1979 regulations. Unable to convince this Court to stay the district court's final order pending appeal, the government allegedly has complied with Paragraph B, Sched. A & Sched. B, pts. 1-4, for the requisite six months. 11 Accordingly, the appeal from those portions of the order is moot by the passage of time. 7 The remaining portions of the district court order, which grant mandatory injunctive relief to Haitians who are not named as petitioners in this action, bring into issue the appropriateness of class-wide relief in this action. It is to these concerns that we now turn.