Opinion ID: 3012894
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Differences between FARRA and IIRIRA

Text: The Government reasons that a different result from St. Cyr should occur in this case, carefully parsing the differences between the statutory language of FARRA and IIRIRA in search of support. It notes that FARRA does not just forbid “review” but also “expressly prohibits any interpretation of its terms that would confer jurisdiction either to ‘consider’ or to ‘review’ ” a CAT claim. St. Cyr rejects this line of argument. That the wording of FARRA is minimally different from IIRIRA is immaterial in the absence of a clear statement by Congress of its intent explicitly to foreclose habeas jurisdiction. Even assuming that FARRA’s language is broader than IIRIRA’s language at best does nothing more than create a slight ambiguity as to Congress’ intent. But statutory “ambiguity does not help the INS” and “[o]nly the clearest statement of congressional intent will support the INS’ position.” St. Cyr, 533 U.S. at 312 n.35. Indeed, in St. Cyr the Court concluded that habeas relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 remained available notwithstanding the fact that one provision under review, entitled “Elimination of Custody Review by Habeas Corpus,” repealed the INA provision authorizing habeas relief, INA § 106(a)(10).21 The Court reasoned that this provision could not “eliminate what it did not originally grant — namely, habeas jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241.” St. Cyr, 533 U.S. at 311. In other words, excising a specific INA provision theretofore authorizing habeas review did not affect the general habeas authority granted by § 2241. If excising a provision authorizing habeas review is not sufficiently explicit an expression of Congressional intent to foreclose habeas jurisdiction, then the use of the word “consider” in addition to the word “review” cannot be deemed sufficiently explicit. 21. As already noted, see supra note 14, St. Cyr considered jurisdictional provisions of both IIRIRA and AEDPA. The caption quoted is from AEDPA § 401(3). 18