Opinion ID: 201166
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Violation of BIA Regulations and Due Process

Text: 24 Citing to 8 C.F.R. §§ 1003.1(d)(1), (d)(3), and (e), Settenda claims that the BIA's single-member decision in this case contravened its own regulations and violated his due process rights. The relevant regulations were part of procedural reforms to improve case management and were issued to improve the efficiency of the BIA and to allow one-member resolutions of a greater variety of cases. Id. Specifically, 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(e)(5) provides that 25 [i]f the Board member to whom an appeal is assigned determines, upon consideration of the merits, that the decision is not appropriate for affirmance without opinion, the Board member shall issue a brief order affirming, modifying, or remanding the decision under review, unless the Board member designates the case for decision by a three-member panel under paragraph (e)(6) of this section under the standards of the case management plan. 26 Id. Petitioners argue that § 1003.1(e)(5)'s provision for a brief order by a single member conflicts with 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(a)(7), which provides that [i]f the Board Member determines that the decision is not appropriate for affirmance without opinion, the case will be assigned to a three-member panel for review and decision. Settenda argues that § 1003.1(a)(7) compels the Board to either issue a single member affirmance without opinion, or to send the case to a three-member panel. This argument is unavailing. 27 While these two provisions might seem to conflict on their face, the comments regarding the new provision, under the heading Expanded Single Member Review, explain that 28 [o]ne of the primary components of the case management system is expanded single-member review. The current streamlining process permits a single Board member to affirm the decision of the immigration judge without opinion. 8 CFR 3.1(a)(7) [now moved to 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(a)(7)]. The final rule retains this current practice intact, but expands upon this authority to permit a single Board member to affirm, modify, or remand the immigration judge's decision with a short explanation. 29 67 Fed.Reg. 54878,  (citation omitted). The government's brief suggests that these comments indicate that § 1003.1(a)(7) was not deleted from the regulations due to a clerical error. This argument is supported by the comprehensive § 1003.1(e) case management system that contains provisions for initial case screening (§ 1003.1(e)(1)); dispositions of motions and procedural or ministerial issues (§ 1003.1(e)(2)); triage of cases receiving a merits review (§ 1003.1(e)(3)); affirmance without opinion by a single Board member (§ 1003.1(e)(4)); brief orders by a single Board member (§ 1003.1(e)(5)); and three-member panel decisions (§ 1003.1(e)(6)). It is particularly notable that § 1003.1(e)(4) provides that a single member of the Board may issue an affirmance without opinion, as does § 1003.1(a)(7), which is cited by Settenda. 30 The Board member to whom a case is assigned shall affirm the decision of the Service or the immigration judge, without opinion, if the Board member determines that the result reached in the decision under review was correct; that any errors in the decision under review were harmless or nonmaterial; and that (A) The issues on appeal are squarely controlled by existing Board or federal court precedent and do not involve the application of precedent to a novel factual situation; or (B) The factual and legal issues raised on appeal are not so substantial that the case warrants the issuance of a written opinion in the case. 31 Id. § 1003.1(e)(4). The duplication of provisions providing for a single member affirmance without opinion supports the government's contention that a clerical error led to the continued inclusion of the now duplicative § 1003.1(a)(7). In any event, the comments to the final rule make clear that the agency intended to expand the purview of single members to go beyond issuing an affirmance without opinion and include the ability to issue a brief order disposing of the case. 32 Finally, even if 1003(e)(5), which was adopted in 2002, conflicts with § 1003(a)(7), which was adopted earlier, we note that the more recent, specific enactment supercedes the older, more general one. Cf. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. v. U.S. EPA, 824 F.2d 1258, 1278 (1st Cir.1987) (Using familiar statutory interpretation, when there is such a conflict, the most recent and more specific congressional pronouncement will prevail over a prior, more generalized statute.). See also Batalova v. Ashcroft, 355 F.3d 1246, 1252 (10th Cir.2004) (upholding 8 C.F.R. § 3.1(e)(5) which was recodified and renumbered as § 1003(e)(5)). In light of the explicit language allowing a single Board member to issue a brief order affirming, modifying, or remanding the decision under review, § 1003.1(e)(5), which is part of a recently enacted comprehensive case management scheme, we find that the BIA's use of this procedure did not contravene its own regulations. 33 Finally, we briefly address Settenda's due process claim. We have already ruled that the BIA's streamlined procedures do not violate petitioners' due process rights. See, e.g., Albathani, 318 F.3d at 375-78 (holding that the BIA's affirmance without opinion procedure does not violate due process). If due process requirements are met when the BIA affirms the IJ's finding without issuing any opinion, the due process requirements are certainly met when the BIA affirms the IJ's finding with a brief explanatory order. Similarly, we reject Settenda's claim that the BIA violated his due process rights by allegedly failing to provide a clear administrative finding or adequately review and establish the record of the case. Again, while the BIA is obliged to weigh all the pertinent factors ..., to exhibit due consideration for the universe of weighted factors when tallying the equities, to exercise independent judgment, and to state plainly its reasons for granting or denying relief, Chen v. INS, 87 F.3d 5, 7 (1st Cir.1996), it is well established that the BIA can adopt, without further explication, the IJ's opinion. Albathani, 318 F.3d at 377. See also Chen, 87 F.3d at 8 ([W]e join eight of our sister circuits in ruling that the Board need not write at length merely to repeat the IJ's findings of fact and his reasons for denying the requested relief, but, rather, having given individualized consideration to a particular case, may simply state that it affirms the IJ's decision for the reasons set forth in that decision.) (listing cases). Here, the BIA opinion indicates that it gave individualized attention to Settenda's case, reviewed the record, and exercised independent judgment. Furthermore, it stated plainly its reasons for affirming the IJ's decision. Therefore, on this record, we find no deprivation of Settenda's due process rights. 34 Affirmed.