Opinion ID: 781115
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Motion to Reopen or Motion to Reconsider?

Text: 27 Mr. Iturribarria contends that the BIA violated due process in applying the regulations governing motions to reopen and motions to reconsider. Specifically, he argues that his motion based on alleged ineffective assistance of counsel should have been construed under relevant regulations as a motion to reopen rather than a motion to reconsider. If it were, it would have been due within 90 days rather than 30 days after the BIA's decision. See 8 C.F.R. § 3.2. 28 We decline to decide cases on constitutional grounds when other grounds on which to base our decision are available. See Jean v. Nelson, 472 U.S. 846, 854, 105 S.Ct. 2992, 86 L.Ed.2d 664 (1985) (federal courts must avoid unnecessarily deciding constitutional questions). The BIA abuses its discretion when it fails to comply with its own regulations. See Mejia v. Ashcroft, 298 F.3d 873, 878 (9th Cir.2002) (The BIA does not have the discretion to misapply the law, and it abuses its discretion when it does.); Andriasian v. INS, 180 F.3d 1033, 1046 (9th Cir.1999) (It is the failure to abide by its own regulations that renders the BIA's decision `contrary to law' ... and therefore an abuse of discretion. (internal citation omitted)). Accordingly, if the BIA did misapply its regulations as Mr. Iturribarria alleges, we can reverse on abuse of discretion grounds and avoid any constitutional determination. We therefore look at the governing BIA regulations directly, rather than through the due process prism. 29 The regulations governing and distinguishing motions to reopen and reconsider read in relevant part: 30 (b) Motion to reconsider 31 (1) A motion to reconsider shall state the reasons for the motion by specifying the errors of fact or law in the prior Board decision and shall be supported by pertinent authority. 32 [....] 33 (2) A motion to reconsider a decision must be filed with the Board within 30 days after the mailing of the Board decision or on or before July 31, 1996, whichever is later. [ ... ] 34 (c) Motion to reopen 35 (1) [ ... ] A motion to reopen proceedings shall not be granted unless it appears to the Board that evidence sought to be offered is material and was not available and could not have been discovered or presented at the former hearing [ ... ] 36 (2) [ ... ] a party may file only one motion to reopen deportation or exclusion proceedings (whether before the Board or the Immigration Judge) and that motion must be filed no later than 90 days after the date on which the final administrative decision was rendered in the proceeding sought to be reopened, or on or before September 30, 1996, whichever is later. 37 8 C.F.R. § 3.2. 38 Under the plain language of 8 C.F.R. § 3.2(b)(1), a motion to reconsider challenges determinations of law and fact made by the BIA. The only supporting materials required for a motion to reconsider are a statement of the party's arguments regarding the BIA's alleged errors and pertinent authority. It is implicit in subsection (b)(1) that the BIA will reconsider the party's case using the same record evidence used in making its prior decision. In contrast, a motion to reopen may only be granted upon a proffer of material evidence that was not available and could not have been discovered or presented at the former hearing. 39 Mr. Iturribarria's motion does not contend that the BIA made any legal errors in deciding the appeal filed by Ms. Colman. Rather, it introduces new evidence — evidence of alleged ineffective assistance of counsel — that was not discovered until after Ms. Colman represented Mr. Iturribarria on appeal. The full extent of this evidence was not as a practical matter discoverable until Mr. Iturribarria reviewed his case file with new counsel. Mr. Iturribarria's motion therefore fits within the requirements for a motion to reopen, as set forth in 8 C.F.R. § 3.2(c). 40 Our case law subscribes to this interpretation of the regulations. In Socop-Gonzalez v. INS, 272 F.3d 1176(9th Cir.2001) (en banc), this court explained: The purpose of a motion to reopen is to present new facts or evidence that would entitle the alien to relief from deportation. Id. at 1180. In contrast, [t]he purpose of a motion to reconsider is not to raise new facts, but rather to demonstrate that the IJ or the BIA erred as a matter of law or fact. Id. at 1180 n. 2 (emphasis in original). Accordingly, the Socop-Gonzalez court analyzed a motion based on the petitioner's recent discovery that INS personnel had given him incorrect instructions under the rules governing motions to reopen. See id. at 1190-93. See also Chung v. INS, 720 F.2d 1471, 1474 n. 2 (9th Cir.1983); Chudshevid v. INS, 641 F.2d 780, 784 (9th Cir.1981). 41 The BIA itself has provided a seemingly clear statement consistent with our understanding of the scope of a motion to reopen. In Cerna, 20 I. & N. Dec. at 400, the BIA held that a motion seek[ing] the opportunity to submit evidence that was not previously a matter of record was appropriately classified as a motion to reopen. In a footnote, the BIA explained that a motion to reconsider `is a request that the Board reexamine its decision in light of additional legal arguments, a change of law, or perhaps an argument or aspect of the case which was overlooked, while [a] motion to reopen is usually based upon new evidence or a change in factual circumstances.' Id. at 402 n. 2 (quoting Hurwitz, Motions Practice Before the Board of Immigration Appeals, 20 San Diego L. Rev. 79, 90 (1982)). 42 Despite the direction of its own regulations and explications such as that in Cerna, the BIA's categorization of motions based on ineffective assistance of counsel has been inconsistent at best. Compare Matter of Patino, 23 I. & N. Dec. 74 (BIA 2001) (considering a motion challenging validity of waiver based on ineffective assistance of counsel a motion to reconsider) with Matter of A-A, 22 I. & N. Dec. 140 (BIA 1998) and Matter of Lei, 22 I. & N. Dec. 113 (BIA 1998) (both applying filing deadline for motion to reopen to motion alleging ineffective assistance of counsel) and Matter of N-K & V-S, 21 I. & N. Dec. 879 (BIA 1997) (granting motion to reopen based on ineffective assistance of counsel claim). The majority of BIA opinions published in recent years have reviewed motions to reopen involving ineffective assistance of counsel claims without reclassifying these motions as motions to reconsider. See, e.g., Matter of Cruz-Garcia, 22 I. & N. Dec. 1155 (BIA 1999); Matter of B-B, 22 I. & N. Dec. 309 (BIA 1998); Matter of Rivera-Claros, 21 I. & N. Dec. 599 (BIA 1996); Matter of Grijalva-Barrera, 21 I. & N. Dec. 472 (BIA 1996). The BIA's characterization of Mr. Iturribarria's ineffective assistance motion as a motion to reconsider therefore conflicts with its usual treatment of these motions. 43 Indeed, as a practical matter, a motion to reopen is the only avenue ordinarily available to pursue ineffective assistance of counsel claims. In the criminal habeas context, this court has recognized that ineffective assistance of counsel claims are ordinarily left for collateral habeas proceedings due to the lack of a sufficient evidentiary record as to `what counsel did, why it was done, and what, if any, prejudice resulted.' United States v. Sager, 227 F.3d 1138, 1149 (9th Cir.2000) (quoting United States v. Quintero-Barraza, 78 F.3d 1344, 1347 (9th Cir.1995)). Similarly, when an alien alleges that former counsel was constitutionally ineffective, a motion to reopen, like a collateral criminal proceeding, is the means by which he may introduce new evidence regarding his former counsel's performance. 44 Consistent with this analysis, this court and other circuits have treated motions based on ineffective assistance of counsel claims as motions to reopen. See Varela v. INS, 204 F.3d 1237, 1239 n. 4 (9th Cir. 2000) (motion alleging ineffective assistance of counsel was properly treated as... a motion to reopen, because petitioner sought to introduce new facts not already in evidence pertaining to counsel's ineffective performance); Zhao v. United States Dep't of Justice, 265 F.3d 83, 90 (2d Cir.2001) (where alien's motion included new evidence and asked for relief because `proper documentation of a critical aspect of the applicant's claim[was not] made' by counsel, it was properly classified by BIA as a motion to reopen); Lopez, 184 F.3d at 1100 (treating motion as one to reopen where petitioner made ineffective assistance of counsel claim based on performance of a notary posing as a lawyer); Henry v. INS, 8 F.3d 426, 438-40 (7th Cir.1993) (deeming alien's motion based on ineffective assistance of counsel a motion to reopen). 45 The INS argues that Mr. Iturribarria knew or should have known about counsel's alleged ineffectiveness at earlier stages of his deportation proceedings, so his motion is not based on new evidence and, as such, cannot be classified as a motion to reopen. Mr. Iturribarria, however, maintains otherwise. He argues that his new evidence meets the newly discovered evidence standard, because he could not meaningfully evaluate his lawyer's alleged fraudulent misrepresentations and ineffectiveness until he evaluated his file with a new lawyer. Whether Mr. Iturribarria is correct in that regard is an issue to be determined on the merits of the motion to reopen. That merits question is not a basis for converting the motion to reopen into something it certainly was not, namely, a motion to reconsider the case on the basis of the existing record. Thus, because Mr. Iturribarria's motion is based on new evidence that was purportedly not discoverable at an earlier stage, the BIA was obligated, under its regulations and our case law, to treat it as a motion to reopen for the purposes of the limitations period, although not necessarily as a meritorious one. 46 In sum, under the plain language of the pertinent regulations and this court's case law, Mr. Iturribarria's motion is properly deemed a motion to reopen. We therefore hold that the BIA abused its discretion when it misapplied its regulations to classify Mr. Iturribarria's motion as a motion to reconsider.