Opinion ID: 6498328
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Procedural Invalidity

Text: Under the APA, rules must be subject to notice-and-comment rulemaking unless they fall within one of the APA’s exceptions. 5 U.S.C. § 553(b)(A). Such exceptions “must be narrowly construed.” Texas DAPA, 809 F.3d at 171 (internal quotation marks omitted). DHS contends that its rule does not need to be subject to notice-and-comment rulemaking because it qualifies as a general statement of policy, which merely “advise[s] the public prospectively of the manner in which the agency proposes to exercise a discretionary power.” Lincoln v. Vigil, 508 U.S. 182, 197, 113 S. Ct. 2024, 2034 (1993) (internal quotation marks omitted). To determine whether a rule is merely a “policy statement,” we evaluate two criteria: “whether the rule (1) imposes any rights and obligations and (2) genuinely leaves the agency and its decision-makers free to exercise discretion.” Texas DAPA, 809 F.3d at 171 (internal quotation marks omitted). “While mindful but suspicious of the agency’s own characterization, we focus primarily on whether the rule has binding effect on agency discretion or severely restricts it.” Id. (internal quotation marks and alterations omitted). As described above, the Final Memo overwhelmingly satisfies both criteria. Both the language found within and the mechanisms of implementing it establish that it is indeed binding, thus removing DHS personnel’s discretion to stray from the guidance or take enforcement action against an alien on the basis of a conviction alone. For the same reasons articulated supra Section II.B, the Final Memo is much more substantive than a general statement of policy and, as such, it had to undergo notice and comment procedures. Because it did not, DHS is unlikely to be successful in establishing that the Final Memo need not have been subject to notice and comments before its promulgation. 30 Case: 22-40367 Document: 00516384389 Page: 31 Date Filed: 07/06/2022 No. 22-40367