Opinion ID: 655293
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Time Served in Prison

Text: 26 Buitrago argues that § 511 does not apply to him even if applied retroactively because, at the time he applied for § 212(c) relief on June 18, 1991, he had served less than five years in prison from the date of his conviction on July 3, 1986. The BIA affirmed the immigration judge's finding that Buitrago had served a term of imprisonment of at least five years, rendering him ineligible for § 212(c) relief, as of July 3, 1991. We agree with the BIA. 27 Changes in law or fact occurring during the pendency of administrative appeals must be taken into account. See Anderson v. McElroy, 953 F.2d 803, 806 (2d Cir.1992). A fortiori, the same is true for such changes during the initial hearings and, thus, the immigration judge properly considered all the time Buitrago spent in prison as of August 2, 1991, the date of his decision. In Anderson, the court stated that [w]hile Anderson's appeal to the BIA was pending ... he achieved seven continuous years as a lawful permanent resident and became eligible for § 212(c) relief. Id. Just as we credit aliens for time spent in the country while an appeal is pending before the BIA so that they are eligible for § 212(c) relief, we will also consider the time aliens spend in prison during the course of a hearing for purposes of rendering them ineligible for § 212(c) relief. 28 Buitrago argues that under Matter of Ramirez-Somera, No. A-38780688, 1992 WL 301623 1992 BIA LEXIS 19, Interim Decision: 3185 (BIA Aug. 11, 1992), the five year term must be measured by the date of the deportation hearing. Ramirez is inapposite. In Ramirez, the BIA held that the immigration judge incorrectly concluded that the alien, who had been convicted of an aggravated felony in 1989, was ineligible for a waiver under § 212(c) because the alien was sentenced to five years imprisonment, and would, at some point, have served five years. Ramirez stands solely for the proposition that under § 511, the judge cannot rely on how much time an alien will serve in prison, but must consider only how much time an alien has served. Ramirez does not address whether factual changes occurring during the pendency of a hearing may be taken into account.