Opinion ID: 148955
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Inadequacy of the BIA's Decision

Text: The motion to reopen is a procedural device, which serv[es] to ensure that aliens [get] a fair chance to have their claims heard. Kucana, 130 S.Ct. at 837 (internal quotation removed). Thus, courts have held that a motion to reopen is an appropriate vehicle for addressing a dismissal due to the absence of a petitioner's brief. See Chen v. Gonzales, 436 F.3d 76, 78-79 (2d Cir.2006) (per curiam); Zheng v. Gonzales, 422 F.3d 98, 106-107 (3d Cir.2005); Singh v. Ashcroft, 367 F.3d 1182, 1185 (9th Cir.2004). This court has held that the BIA properly denied an immigrant's untimely motion to reopen where her attorney failed to provide the BIA with an up-to-date address and therefore did not receive a briefing schedule. See Tobeth-Tangang, 440 F.3d at 539-40. This court has also held that the BIA improperly denied an immigrant's motion for reconsideration where his attorney provided a correct address but failed to receive a briefing schedule due to the BIA's erroneous mailing. See Hossain v. Gonzales, 381 F.3d 29, 31-32 (1st Cir.2004). Despite the existence of clear precedent for the BIA to work from, the BIA failed to engage in any meaningful analysis when it denied Aponte's motion to reopen. In its decision, the BIA found: (1) that it mailed the briefing schedule to the address provided by Irena Zolotova; (2) that there was no indication that the briefing schedule was returned as undeliverable; (3) that the Vitale affidavit does not provide sufficient detail as to when the [briefing schedule] was actually received; and (4) that its later decision was apparently received, as were apparently all the other notices that were mailed to the same address without listing the name of the law firm. The BIA then cited Tobeth-Tangang without engaging in any discussion of the case. Most of the BIA's findings are misplaced. First, the BIA did not mail the briefing schedule to the address provided by Irena Zolotova, but instead omitted the firm name Ross & Associates. The government argues that the firm name was not actually part of Zolotova's address of record because it appeared in the NAME box rather than the ADDRESS box; however, this is a distinction without a difference. The BIA can no more omit relevant identifying information from the NAME box than it can from the ADDRESS box and still claim to have sent the mailing to a complete address. Second, there may have been no indication that the briefing schedule was returned undeliverable, but there is likewise no direct evidence in the record to indicate that the briefing schedule was received. [4] The BIA may not presume that a mailing to an incomplete address was received. See Hossain, 381 F.3d at 32 (The doctrine of regularity of the mail presumes the address used is the correct one.). Third, the affidavit does not sufficiently indicate when the briefing schedule was received, but it is sufficientif barelyto support a finding that the briefing schedule was not timely received. Untimely receipt of the briefing schedule could just as easily have kept Aponte from filing a brief as no receipt at all. Fourth, the BIA indicated no conclusive basis for its finding that Aponte's attorneys apparently received all mailings subsequent to the briefing schedule. It is unclear to us how these subsequent receipts were apparent to the BIA given that there is nothing in the record to support such a finding. And although Aponte's attorneys do not claim that subsequent, incorrectly-addressed mailings were also lost, this does not by itself establish that they received the initial briefing schedule. The BIA's reliance on Tobeth-Tangang is also misplaced. We based our ruling in Tobeth-Tangang on the factual premise that the petitioner's attorney violated BIA rules by failing to provide the BIA with an updated address after moving to a new office. See 440 F.3d at 540 (citing 8 C.F.R. § 1003.38(e)). Here, Aponte's attorney complied with BIA rules by providing a complete address on the EOIR-27 Notice of Appearance form. See 8 C.F.R. § 1003.3(a)(3) (providing that the attorney for any alien must file an EOIR-27 Notice of Appearance form). When the BIA mailed the briefing schedule, it simply neglected to include part of the identifying information set forth on that form. Because the BIA and not counsel is at fault here, Tobeth-Tangang does not control the BIA's decision, nor does it control ours. We turn instead to Hossain, which deserves a thorough treatment in view of its close similarity to this case. In Hossain, Mohammed Mozammel Hossain, a citizen of Bangladesh, sought relief from exclusion. 381 F.3d at 30. An IJ denied relief, and Hossain appealed the decision to the BIA. Id. On his Notice of Appeal, Hossain requested the opportunity to file a brief. Id. at 30-31. Hossain's attorney filed an entry of appearance, listing his name and address as John Traficonte, Cabot Corporation, 75 State Street, Boston, MA 02109. Id. at 31. The BIA, however, sent a briefing schedule to John Traficonte, 75 State Street, Boston, MA 02109, omitting the company name Cabot Corporation. Id. Traficonte never received the briefing schedule and thus did not file a brief. Id. Nevertheless, the BIA issued a decision affirming the IJ without opinion. Id. at 30. Hossain moved for reconsideration [5] based solely on the fact that Traficonte never received the briefing schedule and therefore did not file a brief. Id. at 31. The BIA denied the motion, finding no defect in service of the briefing schedule. Id. This court vacated the decision of the BIA and remanded for further proceedings. Hossain, 381 F.3d at 33. We held that the BIA had committed an error by mailing the briefing schedule to an incomplete address. Id. at 31-32; see also 8 C.F.R. § 1003.3(c)(1) (providing that an alien has a right to file a brief subject to a briefing schedule set by the BIA). We directed the BIA to allow a renewed motion for reconsideration and to decide that motion in accordance with our decision. Hossain, 381 F.3d at 33. The close similarity between the facts here and those in Hossain leads us to the same resolution. In each case, the petitioner's attorney properly submitted an entry of appearance listing a valid name and address. Hossain, 381 F.3d at 31. In each case, the BIA left out a piece of identifying informationin Hossain the company name and in this case the firm namewhen sending a briefing schedule to the attorney. Id. In each case, the petitioner's attorney failed to receive the briefing schedule in time to file a brief. Id. Thus, Hossain would appear to control on these facts, and we remand for the BIA (1) to provide Aponte with an opportunity to file a renewed motion to reopen, and (2) to decide that motion in accordance with this decision. However, this remand comes with a caveat. We note again that the affidavit presented by Aponte's attorney is barely sufficient to establish that the briefing schedule was not timely received. The affidavit's shortage of details seems to indicate that it is a product of either hasty work or intentional obfuscation, and its sparsity should certainly be addressed in the renewed motion to reopen. In particular, the issue of when counsel actually received the briefing schedule, if ever, stands out to us as requiring clarification, just as it did to the BIA. Indeed, if any attorney representing Aponte actually received the briefing schedule before the case was dismissed, then Hossain carries much less force here than it would if counsel never received the briefing schedule. Cf. 381 F.3d at 31 (stating that Hossain's attorney never received a briefing schedule). Whatever the new affidavit provides, the BIA still must apply the law to the record evidence before it and determine whether to reopen Aponte's appeal. We also call attention to the Supreme Court's statement in Kucana that [a] court decision reversing the denial of a motion to reopen does not direct the Executive to afford the alien substantive relief, but instead touches and concerns only the question whether the alien's claims have been accorded a reasonable hearing. Kucana, 130 S.Ct. at 837. Despite our conclusion that Aponte did not receive a reasonable hearing, she still has a very difficult path ahead of her in order to obtain any substantive relief. The record indicates that she has had great difficulty getting her record expunged in New York and suggests no other basis for relief from removal. Furthermore, even if the BIA does elect to reopen the appeal, the merits are for it to determine as long as it acts within the parameters established by law. Overall, Aponte's likelihood of succeeding on the merits might well be negligible. However, the BIA must at least cast a more critical eye on its mailing procedure here and make certain that Aponte receives the full benefit of the administrative process that Congress has elected to provide for her.