Opinion ID: 773283
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Denial of Downward Departure Due to Alien Status

Text: 93 Salgado also seeks to appeal the finding of the district court that he was not entitled to a downward departure due to his alien status. Salgado argued below that due to the fact that he was a Cuban national who cannot currently be deported due to the lack of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States, he might be held indefinitely in the custody of the Immigration and Naturalization Service upon his release from prison. 94 The refusal of a district judge to make a downward departure is ordinarily not appealable. United States v. Byrd, 53 F.3d 144, 145 (6th Cir. 1995). A decision denying a downward departure may be appealed only where the trial court's refusal to depart was based on the erroneous belief that it lacked the authority to do so. United States v. Landers, 39 F.3d 643, 649 (6th Cir. 1994). Thus, in United States v. Ebolum, 72 F.3d 35 (6th Cir. 1995), we reviewed the trial court's decision declining a downward departure based on the defendant's status as a deportable alien where the court indicated on the record that he believed he lacked the authority to depart. 95 In this case, the sentencing judge clearly indicated that he believed that he had the authority to depart downward on the basis of Salgado's alien status, but thathe was declining to do so in this case. The trial court stated, I am going to refuse to do it under these facts. I'm not holding that I can't. I'm holding that I'm not going to here under the facts that he has in this case. Jt. App. p. 475. Where, as here, the trial court affirmatively states on the record that alien status can provide a basis for departure, but declines to do so under the circumstances of the particular case, such awareness of the discretionary power to depart precludes our review of the sentencing judge's decision not to grant a downward departure. See United States v. Farrow, 198 F.3d 179, 200 (6th Cir. 1999). 7