Opinion ID: 2960053
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: Petitioner Jermaine Walcott (“Petitioner”) challenges a September 23, 2002 decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) holding that, pursuant to § 440(d) of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (“AEDPA”), Pub. L. No. 104-132, 110 Stat. 1214, 1277 (Apr. 24, 1996), his aggravated felony conviction made him ineligible for discretionary relief from deportation under former § 212(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”).1 Petitioner claims that the application of the AEDPA to his case was impermissibly retroactive under Restrepo v. McElroy, 369 F.3d 627, 634-35 (2d Cir. 2004), even though his conviction was on appeal when the AEDPA took effect. For the reasons discussed below, we find that Petitioner may assert a Restrepo claim of reliance which, if proven before an immigration judge, see Wilson v. Gonzales, 471 F.3d 111 (2006), would make AEDPA’s § 440(d) impermissibly retroactive as applied to him. The BIA’s decision is vacated and the matter remanded to the BIA for further remand to an immigration judge so that Petitioner can attempt to make an individualized showing of reliance. 1 This petition was initially filed in the Southern District of New York as a petition for habeas corpus, but, pursuant to § 106(c) of the REAL ID Act of 2005, Pub. L. No. 109-13, Div. B, 119 Stat. 231, 310-11 (May 11, 2005) (codified at 8 U.S.C. § 1252 note), was transferred to this Court and is deemed a petition for review. 2