Opinion ID: 556409
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Prejudice Test

Text: 27 Despite the existence of the long-settled Accardi rule, the government invites us to subject the instant petition to harmless error analysis, as the Ninth Circuit did in United States v. Calderon-Medina, 591 F.2d 529 (9th Cir.1979). In that case, as in this, an alien challenged the validity of a deportation order claiming that the agency failed to adhere to its own regulations in reaching its decision. The court modified the Accardi analysis, ruling that an agency's violation of its own regulation does not invalidate a deportation proceeding unless (a) the regulation serves a purpose of benefit to the alien, and (b) the violation prejudiced interests of the alien which were protected by the regulation. Id. at 531. 28 This holding followed the Supreme Court's decision in Morton where the Court said that before an individual may claim reversible error from an agency's failure to comply with its own procedures, he must show that the procedures affect his rights. See 415 U.S. at 235, 94 S.Ct. at 1074. The Ninth Circuit's gloss on Morton--and the other Supreme Court cases following Accardi--requires an alien to show prejudice to his interests before relief may be granted. 29 The Calderon-Medina prejudice test was specifically adopted by the INS in In re Garcia-Flores, 17 I & N Dec. 325 (BIA 1980). In adopting this formulation, the INS stated that in those cases where agency action has been overturned by the Supreme Court, prejudice to the individual has been apparent as a result of the violation of a regulation intended to confer a benefit. The INS concluded 30 Where compliance with the regulation is mandated by the Constitution, prejudice may be presumed. Similarly, where an entire procedural framework, designed to insure the fair processing of an action affecting an individual is created but then not followed by an agency, it can be deemed prejudicial. [citations omitted] As a general rule, however, prejudice will have to be specifically demonstrated. 31 Id. at 329. 32 The government cites other cases similarly holding that an alien must show prejudice before a violation of his right to counsel in a deportation hearing will require reversal. See, e.g., Farrokhi v. INS, 900 F.2d 697, 702 (4th Cir.1990); Trench v. INS, 783 F.2d 181, 183 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 961, 107 S.Ct. 457, 93 L.Ed.2d 403 (1986); Aguilera-Enriquez v. INS, 516 F.2d 565, 569 (6th Cir.1975), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 1050, 96 S.Ct. 776, 46 L.Ed.2d 638 (1976); Villaneuva-Jurado v. INS, 482 F.2d 886, 888 (5th Cir.1973). Nonetheless, unlike Calderon-Medina, none of these cases adopting the prejudice test involve challenges to an agency's alleged non-compliance with its own regulations--which is the crux of the Accardi line of cases--so they provide no direct support for the government's position. 33 By contrast, two other decisions have declined to apply a prejudice test to such claims, though concededly neither of them involved agency non-compliance with its own regulations, see Castaneda-Delgado v. INS, 525 F.2d 1295, 1300 (7th Cir.1975) (right too fundamental to be circumscribed by prejudice test--no alleged non-compliance with regulation); Yiu Fong Cheung v. INS, 418 F.2d 460, 464 (D.C.Cir.1969) (same). One court has indicated it would not apply a prejudice test were it confronted with the issue. See Chlomos v. INS, 516 F.2d 310, 314 (3d Cir.1975) (right not subject to prejudice test). III Rejection of the Prejudice Test 34 We have never had occasion to address whether a challenge to an INS determination based on the agency's non-compliance with its own regulations should be governed by the prejudice standard. See Henriques v. INS, 465 F.2d 119, 120-21 (2d Cir.1972) (per curiam) (declining to reach question whether potential deportees have a constitutional right to counsel at government expense absent a showing of prejudice), cert. denied, 410 U.S. 968, 93 S.Ct. 1452, 35 L.Ed.2d 703 (1973); Ballenilla-Gonzalez v. INS, 546 F.2d 515, 520 n. 10 (2d Cir.1976) (declining to decide whether denial of potential deportee's statutory right to retained counsel is governed by the Henriques prejudice standard), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 819, 98 S.Ct. 58, 54 L.Ed.2d 75 (1977). Having decided to address that issue in this case, we are unpersuaded for several reasons to adopt the prejudice standard. 35 The Accardi doctrine is still alive and well, and by applying this judicially-evolved rule ensuring fairness in administrative proceedings, we may avoid deciding the case on constitutional grounds, as urged by the parties. Such approach carefully adheres to a fundamental rule of judicial restraint, namely, if a case can be decided on nonconstitutional grounds, it should be. See Jean v. Nelson, 472 U.S. 846, 854, 105 S.Ct. 2992, 2996, 86 L.Ed.2d 664 (1985); Ashwander v. TVA, 297 U.S. 288, 347, 56 S.Ct. 466, 483, 80 L.Ed. 688 (1936) (Brandeis, J., concurring). 36 As a practical matter, to remand for agency compliance with its own rules would actively encourage such compliance. Careless observance by an agency of its own administrative processes weakens its effectiveness in the eyes of the public because it exposes the possibility of favoritism and of inconsistent application of the law. See McKart v. United States, 395 U.S. 185, 195, 89 S.Ct. 1657, 1663, 23 L.Ed.2d 194 (1969). 37 Further, the efficient use of scarce judicial resources is promoted by remand. Adopting the prejudice test requires judicial exploration of petitioners' arguments, and burdens a court with carefully balancing the positives and negatives reflected in petitioner's circumstances to decide whether in hindsight the positives might so outweigh the negatives as to succeed in altering the result reached by the INS. In contrast, upon concluding that the INS failed to follow its own regulations, if the matter is returned to the INS with instructions to comply with those regulations, then the determination whether a petitioner merits Sec. 212(c) relief is properly left to the wisdom and expertise of the INS in the first instance. Review, if later required, would then be under the deferential abuse of discretion standard. See Blackwood v. INS, 803 F.2d 1165, 1168 (11th Cir.1986); De Los Santos v. INS, 690 F.2d 56, 60 (2d Cir.1982); Bertrand v. Sava, 684 F.2d 204, 211-17 (2d Cir.1982). 38 For these reasons, we hold that an alien claiming the INS has failed to adhere to its own regulations regarding the right to counsel in a deportation hearing is not required to make a showing of prejudice before he is entitled to relief. All that need be shown is that the subject regulations were for the alien's benefit and that the INS failed to adhere to them. IV Application of Accardi 39 We turn now to application of the Accardi doctrine and the INS regulations to the facts in the instant case. Here the record indicates Montilla was advised of his right to counsel by the immigration judge at the January 25, 1989 hearing, but was never required to state on the record whether or not he desired such representation. Petitioner's reply to the judge's question was unresponsive. This was the sole inquiry the judge made regarding whether defendant wanted to have counsel present to represent him at the hearing. We believe petitioner's response--one that demonstrated complete ignorance on this subject--tellingly reveals his unawareness of the nature of the privilege available to him. The record shows Montilla never faced and decided this question which the regulation required the immigration judge to elicit from him. Hence, the judge failed to comply with 8 C.F.R. Sec. 242.16(a). 40 Nor do we agree with the INS' conclusion that Montilla waived his right to counsel. It is true that an alien may waive that right in deportation proceedings, and such a waiver will be upheld if voluntarily made. See, e.g., Farrokhi, 900 F.2d at 701-02; Reyes-Palacios v. INS, 836 F.2d 1154, 1155 (9th Cir.1988); Cobourne v. INS, 779 F.2d 1564, 1566 (11th Cir.1986); Matter of Gutierez, 16 I & N Dec. 226, 228 (BIA 1977) ([M]eticulous care must be exercised to insure that a waiver of this right is competently and understandingly made.). A waiver of the right to counsel has been found, however, only where it was possible to make a specific finding that the alien indicated--through what he said to the immigration judge--that he wanted to proceed without counsel. See Farrokhi, 900 F.2d at 701-02 (waiver found where alien stated: At this point, I would like to speak for me[,] for myself.); Cobourne, 779 F.2d at 1565-66 (waiver where court found Cobourne elected to proceed with the hearing unrepresented); Barthold, 517 F.2d at 691 (waiver where alien stated he would proceed without lawyer); Burquez, 513 F.2d at 755 (waiver where alien told judge he could speak for myself). Montilla never stated or otherwise indicated he wished to proceed without counsel. 41 The government asks us to infer a waiver of Montilla's right to counsel either because (1) after being informed of his right at the first hearing, he arrived at the second hearing without counsel, or (2) because he stood mute at the second hearing when the judge noted for the record that he was present without counsel. Waiver of the right to counsel may not be inferred in such circumstances from silence. See Rios-Berrios, 776 F.2d at 863 (no waiver where alien who indicated at earlier hearing desire for counsel present did not repeat request at later hearing, and record demonstrated that the immigration judge proceeded instantly to take evidence, an action that would intimidate an alien appearing before him). There are simply too many possible interpretations for Montilla's silence. For instance, he may well have believed that he was not allowed to speak unless first spoken to by the judge. In this regard, the record is unclear and ambiguous, which is precisely what the applicable regulation was designed to avoid. Consequently, petitioner did not knowingly and voluntarily waive his right to counsel. 42 We recognize that petitioner's chances on remand may be slim because of the high standard he must meet as a narcotics offender to be entitled to a waiver of deportation under Sec. 212(c) of the Act. See Matter of Marin, 16 I & N Dec. 581, 586 n. 4 (BIA 1978) (we require a showing of unusual or outstanding countervailing equities by applicants for discretionary relief who have been convicted of serious drug offenses, particularly those involving the trafficking or sale of drugs). Yet, where the violated agency regulation governs individual interests, the Accardi doctrine requires reversal irrespective of whether a new hearing would produce the same result. See Yellin, 374 U.S. at 121, 83 S.Ct. at 1835; Accardi, 347 U.S. at 268, 74 S.Ct. at 504. Plainly, the objecting party should have the benefits accorded him under the regulations. 43 Petitioner's long residence in this country, strong family and religious ties, and history of steady employment make his case for Sec. 212(c) relief at least arguably meritorious in spite of the obvious hurdle posed by his narcotics conviction. Despite the unlikelihood of success, we must remand because Montilla's right to counsel was obviously affected by the failure of the immigration agency to comply with its own regulation. A lawyer might well have made a difference in the earlier proceeding--they usually do. See Gordon, Right to Counsel in Immigration Proceedings, 45 Minn.L.Rev. 875, 877 (1961).