Opinion ID: 766394
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Harboring

Text: 31 Kim also contends that, even if he could be prosecuted under 1324, the conduct that was proven at trial was insufficient to constitute harboring. We disagree. 32 As discussed in Part II.A. above, harboring, within the meaning of 1324, encompasses conduct tending substantially to facilitate an alien's remaining in the United States illegally and to prevent government authorities from detecting his unlawful presence, see, e.g., United States v. Lopez, 521 F.2d at 440-41. Such facilitation may be attempted through a wide range of conduct. In Lopez, we noted a number of such acts, including providing unlawful aliens with housing, transportation, and sham marriage ceremonies, and assisting them in obtaining employment. In United States v. Smith, 112 F.2d 83, 84 (2d Cir. 1940), we upheld the conviction of an employer under a 1917 precursor to 1324, see 8U.S.C. 144 (1940) (reaching [a]ny person ... who ... shall conceal or harbor or attempt to conceal or harbor ... any [illegal] alien), where the defendant had instructed undocumented aliens that, if questioned, they should deny that they were aliens and say that they were from New York State. We concluded that this constituted harbor[ing], for the employees were thus sheltered from the immigration authorities and shielded from observation to prevent their discovery as aliens. 112 F.2d at 85. See also United States v. Herrera, 584 F.2d 1137, 1145 (2d Cir. 1978) (installation of security systems designed to alert illegal aliens to impending INS on-site inspections and facilitate their escape constitutes harboring); United States v. Fierros, 692 F.2d 1291, 1295 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 462 U.S. 1120 (1983) (use of radio scanners tuned to border patrol frequency in vehicles used to transport illegal aliens into the United States constitutes conspiracy to harbor). 33 In the present case, the evidence at trial, viewed in the light most favorable to the government, was sufficient to establish both (a) that Kim knew or recklessly disregarded Farfan's status as an alien who was not authorized to work or remain in the United States, and (b) that he took steps designed to help her remain in his employ, undetected by the INS. The proof of Kim's knowledge included the evidence that Farfan, using her real name, was among the persons Kim initially instructed Mendez to fire because they were believed to be illegal aliens; that, in allowing Farfan nonetheless to remain an employee, Kim asked Farfan why she had chosen Ortiz as her first substitute surname; that Farfan's real name and her first substitute name, Nancy Ortiz, appeared on the INS's 1996 suspect-document list; that that list, which indicated that neither Farfan nor Nancy Ortiz was in possession of a valid social security number, was served personally on Kim; and that Kim and Farfan spoke several times about her lack of work authorization. This evidence, along with Kim's statement to Mendez that if the employment scheme were discovered by the INS Kim could go to jail, was ample to permit the jury to infer that Kim had knowledge of Farfan's status as an illegal alien. 34 The evidence was also sufficient to permit the inference that Kim attempted to prevent Farfan's continued presence from being detected by the authorities. In addition to the evidence just described, Farfan testified that Kim instructed her to report falsely to the INS that after Nancy Ortiz was hired the employment of Nancy Farfan was terminated; and she testified that Kim later instructed her to obtain false documentation and to submit an I9 form similarly attempting to mislead the INS to believe that Nancy Ortiz had been terminated and Blanca Ortiz had been hired in her place. The jury was entitled to credit Farfan's testimony, which was ample to support an inference beyond a reasonable doubt that Kim had attempted to facilitate Farfan's continued unlawful presence and prevent her detection by the INS. Accordingly, we see no basis for disturbing Kim's conviction of harboring.