Opinion ID: 2708420
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Requisite Prejudice

Text: Even if we were to assume that Baptist’s due process rights were violated, he still “must establish that [he] was prejudiced, that is, that the error likely affected the result of the proceedings.” Alimi v. Gonzales, 489 F.3d 829, 834 (7th Cir. 2007). Baptist failed to do so here. No. 14-1273 13 Before April 1996, the Attorney General, in his discretion, could waive deportation for an alien who had been convicted of a crime considered an “aggravated felony” as long as the alien served a term of imprisonment of less than five years. INA § 212(c); 8 U.S.C. § 1182(c). However, on April 24, 1996, the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (“AEDPA”) was enacted and made relief under INA § 212(c) unavailable to all aliens who had been convicted of aggravated felonies. Pub. L. 104–132, 110 Stat. 1214. On April 1, 1997, IIRIRA repealed INA § 212(c) and replaced it with a new form of relief called “cancellation of removal.” Pub. L. 104–208, 110 Stat. 3009–546 (1996); 8 U.S.C. § 1229b. However, aliens convicted of aggravated felonies were ineligible for this form of relief. INA § 240A; 8 U.S.C. § 1229b. In I.N.S. v. St. Cyr, the Supreme Court limited the scope of IIRIRA, holding that aliens who pleaded guilty before the statute was passed could still obtain relief from removal under INA § 212(c); the Court, however, said nothing about those aliens who went to trial and were convicted. 533 U.S. 289, 326 (2001). We have squarely addressed this issue in our circuit and have held that waivers under INA § 212(c) are available only to aliens who pleaded guilty prior to the enactment of AEDPA and IIRIRA, not to aliens who went to trial. Montenegro v. Ashcroft, 355 F.3d 1035, 1037 (7th Cir. 2004). In Canto v. Holder, we explained that eligibility for INA § 212(c) waivers should not extend to aliens who did not plead guilty prior to the enactment of AEDPA and IIRIRA since they did not “rel[y] upon th[e] likelihood of receiving discretionary relief under section 212(c) in deciding whether to forgo their right to a 14 No. 14-1273 trial … .” 593 F.3d 638, 642 (7th Cir. 2010) (citing I.N.S. v. St. Cyr, 533 U.S. at 325). Here, Baptist was convicted in 1995 and 1996 of possession of a controlled substance. Under the law in effect at the time of his removal in 1998, Baptist’s prior possession offenses qualified as aggravated felonies. See, e.g. Matter of Yanez-Garcia, 23 I&N Dec. 390, 398 (BIA 2002) (holding that felony possession qualifies as an aggravated felony); Fernandez v. Mukasey, 544 F.3d 862, 874 (7th Cir. 2008) (holding that multiple state possession convictions make an alien removable as an aggravated felon). Though the law has since changed and Baptist’s possession offenses no longer constitute aggravated felonies under 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(B), the law in effect at the time of Baptist’s challenged removal is what matters to our analysis. Since Baptist’s offenses constituted aggravated felonies in 1998, Baptist was neither eligible for cancellation of removal, nor could he have applied for discretionary relief under INA § 212(c). The Supreme Court’s decision in St. Cyr cannot save Baptist’s prejudice claim either. Section 212(c) waivers are only available to aliens who pleaded guilty prior to the enactment of AEDPA and IIRIRA; Baptist did not plead guilty to his 1995 and 1996 possession offenses, but was convicted after bench trials. Since Baptist cannot demonstrate the prejudice necessary to sustain a collateral attack on his 1998 deportation, his claim must fail. No. 14-1273 15