Opinion ID: 766915
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Merits of the Sabharis' Complaint

Text: 26 Having concluded that the APA may provide a foundation for review of this case, we now turn to the district court's alternative grounds for dismissal -- namely that the order of the BIA denying Sabhari classification as a relative of a United States citizen is supported by substantial evidence. 27 When a United States citizen marries an alien, the citizen may petition the INS to have his or her spouse classified as an immediate relative. See 8 U.S.C. § 1154 (establishing petitioning procedure) and § 1151(b)(2)(A)(i) (defining immediate relative to include citizen's spouse). Once so classified, the alien may then apply under a separate procedure for an adjustment of immigration status -- a process which will upgrade the alien to the status of lawful permanent resident of the United States. See 8 U.S.C. § 1255(a)(1994). 28 Approval of the alien's petition for adjustment of status is not a foregone Conclusion, however, and it has long been recognized that the INS may combat fraud by refusing to confer benefits where a marriage has been entered so as to circumvent the immigration laws. See Lutwak v. United States, 344 U.S. 604 (1953); 8 U.S.C. § 1154(c)(1994) (no petition shall be approved . . . by reason of a marriage determined by the Attorney General to have been entered into for the purpose of evading the immigration laws, . . . .). Indeed, the INA vests the Attorney General with an affirmative duty to investigate the underlying circumstances of a claimed marital relationship before immigration benefits are conferred. See 8 U.S.C. § 1154(b)(1994). 29 Sabhari argues that the BIA's determination that he entered a sham marriage to Ms. Sherry is not supported by substantial evidence. Although it is true that there is some evidence in the administrative record of this case to suggest that the Sabharis' marriage was bona fide, 8 on balance, the order of the BIA to the contrary, as affirmed by the district court, is supported by substantial evidence. 30 Evidence provided to the INS by members of Sabhari's family suggests that Sabhari tried a variety of means to obtain permanent residency in the United States but eventually settled on a scheme to marry an American woman and achieve residency thereby. Most persuasive to us is the consular report which details the statements of Sabhari's ex-wife Mohammed. Although Sabhari rebuts this report with documents suggesting that either the consular officer fabricated Mohammed's alleged statements or she recanted, under the totality of the circumstances such charges and recantations ring hollow. In addition, three of Sabhari's close family members -- his sister, brother, and sister-in-law -- each wrote unsolicited letters to the INS which support Mohammed's statements. Although the motives of Sabhari's brother and sister-in-law in writing such letters may be legitimately questioned, 9 no apparent ulterior motive exists to undermine the corroborating letter from Sabhari's sister. 31 Under these circumstances, the record before the BIA contained ample evidence upon which it could properly rely for its Conclusion that Sabhari had failed to show that his marriage to Sherry was not entered for immigration purposes. Thus, because the BIA's order was supported by substantial evidence, we affirm the district court's order dismissing this action. The dismissal, however, is with prejudice.