Opinion ID: 4563581
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Jabateh Seeks Permanent Residency

Text: In 2001, Jabateh applied for permanent residency in the United States. As before, he filed a written application, this time using Form I-485. And once again, his answers ignored the truth. Among other questions, Form I-485 asked “[h]ave you ever engaged in genocide, or otherwise ordered, incited, assisted or otherwise participated in the killing of any person because of race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin or political opinion?” and “have you, by fraud or willful misrepresentation of a material fact, ever sought to procure, or procured, a visa, other documentation, entry into the U.S. or any immigration benefit?” (App. at 84.) Jabateh’s answer to both: no. Many years later, in 2011,7 USCIS officer Norman De Moose interviewed Jabateh under oath about his application for permanent residency (“2011 Interview”). De Moose reviewed and confirmed Jabateh’s responses in his Form I-485, but tailored the interview to focus on the questions “actually applicable” to Jabateh. (App. at 603, 628.) De Moose knew the Liberian civil war involved “a great number of atrocities” with “no clean hands on either side.” (App. at 619.) So while Jabateh was still under oath, De Moose asked certain questions from Form I-485 verbatim. When he came to question 8 on Form I-485, De Moose asked Jabateh: “Have you ever engaged in genocide, or otherwise ordered, incited, assisted or otherwise 7 Although Jabateh applied for permanent residency in 2001, his initial interview occurred in 2007, and another four years passed before his follow-up interview in 2011. The Government explains this delay as “just a lag in the immigration system.” (Oral Arg. Tr. at 50–51.) The accuracy of that charitable characterization is beyond the scope of this appeal. 10 participated in the killing of any person because of race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin or political opinion?” (App. at 84, 635.) Jabateh responded “no.” (App. at 635.) De Moose also asked question 10 verbatim, asking “have you, by fraud or willful misrepresentation of a material fact, ever sought to procure, or procured, a visa, other documentation, entry into the U.S. or any immigration benefit?” (App. at 84, 637.) Jabateh again answered “no.” (App. at 637.) These false answers were critical because, as De Moose explained, “somebody who takes up arms and engages in certain wartime acts would be inadmissible to the United States.” (App. at 627.)