Opinion ID: 1261998
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Whether Delgado May Seek Adjustment of Status Without a Waiver

Text: Delgado argues that she is eligible for adjustment of status pursuant to the special adjustment of status provision, notwithstanding the reinstatement provision, because [b]y its express language section 1255(i) is available to aliens who enter the United States without inspection. See Pet'r's Br. On Appeal at 8. Delgado argues that the adjustment of status provision cures inadmissibility pursuant to § 1182(a)(9)(C)(i)(II). The government's position is that, although the special adjustment of status provision authorizes aliens who entered the United States without inspection to apply for adjustment of status, see INA § 245(i)(1)(A)(i), 8 U.S.C. § 1255(i)(1)(A)(i), such adjustment is limited to aliens who are admissible to the United States for permanent residence. Id. § 245(i)(2)(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1255(i)(2)(A). According to the government, because Delgado is inadmissible pursuant to INA § 212(a)(9)(c)(i)(II), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(9)(c)(i)(II), she is not eligible for adjustment of status. For the reasons set forth below, we agree with the government that Delgado is not eligible for adjustment of status pursuant to INA § 245(i), 8 U.S.C. § 1255(i). We are not persuaded by Delgado's reliance on case law holding that the special adjustment of status provision exempts individuals from inadmissibility pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(9)(c)(i)(I). See Padilla, Caldera v. Gonzales, 453 F.3d 1237 (10th Cir.2005); Acosta v. Gonzales, 439 F.3d 550 (9th Cir.2006). Section 1182(a)(9)(c)(i)(I) provides that any alien who has been unlawfully present in the United States for an aggregate period of more than [one] year is inadmissible. Padilla-Caldera held that the special adjustment of status provision trumped inadmissibility pursuant to section 1182(a)(9)(c)(I) for an alien who had reentered the United States illegally after having departed at the direction of the INS. Padilla-Caldera is distinct from the case at bar, most notably by the fact that the alien in that case did not violate a removal orderhe re-entered the country illegally after having been unlawfully present in the United States for more than one year, not after having been removed from the United States, as Delgado was. The Padilla-Caldera court itself noted the distinction, relying on earlier Tenth Circuit precedent holding that where section 1182(a)(9)(C)(i)(II) applies, the reinstatement provision also applies, barring aliens inadmissible under 1182(a)(9)(C)(i)(II) from seeking any relief' under the immigration statutes. 453 F.3d at 1243 (explaining that [t]he imposition of additional punishment for those inadmissible under 1182(a)(9)(C)(i)(II)namely 1231(a)(5) [the reinstatement provision], which bars this class of aliens from seeking `any relief makes 1182(a)(9)(C)(i)(II) distinguishable) (citing Berrum-Garcia v. Comfort, 390 F.3d 1158, 1163 (10th Cir.2004) (alterations added)). [3] Acosta is equally unavailing. Acosta relied on. Padilla-Caldera, which, as discussed, distinguished inadmissibility pursuant to section 1182(a)(9)(C)(i)(II) from inadmissibility pursuant to section 1182(a)(9)(C)(i)(I). Acosta also relied on Perez-Gonzalez v. Ashcroft, 379 F.3d 783, 793-95 (9th Cir.2004), see 439 F.3d at 554 (Our reasoning in Perez-Gonzalez appears to control the issue now before us.), which, as set forth in greater detail below, has been overruled by the Ninth Circuit, see Gonzales v. Dep't of Homeland Sec., 508 F.3d 1227 (9th Cir.2007). Delgado concedes that other circuit courts have Held that the special adjustment of status provision does not cure inadmissability pursuant to § 1182(a)(9)(C)(i)(II), to which the reinstatement provision applies. Although this Court has not yet ruled on this issue, five sister circuits have so held. See Lino v. Gonzales, 467 F.3d 1077, 1079 (7th Cir. 2006) ([The reinstatement provision] plainly precludes a previously removed alien who has since illegally reentered the United States from adjusting her status under § 245(i).); De Sandoval v. U.S. Att'y Gen., 440 F.3d 1276, 1284-85 (11th Cir.2006); Berram-Garcia, 390 F.3d at 1163 (holding that once a petitioner's prior removal order has been reinstated, he no longer qualifies for any relief under the INA, regardless of whether his application was filed before or after the reinstatement decision, was made); Lattab v. Ashcroft, 384 F.3d 8, 21 (1st Cir.2004) (holding that [e]ection 241(a)(5) . . . bars aliens who have illegally reentered the United States after having previously been deported from applying for relief'); Warner v. Ashcroft, 381 F.3d 534, 540 (6th Cir.2004) (holding that aliens whose prior orders of removal are reinstated under § 241(a)(5) should not be eligible for relief under § 245(i) because § 241(a)(5) states that aliens who fall under this provision may not apply for any relief under this chapter); Flores v. Ashcroft, 354 F.3d 727, 731 (8th Cir.2003); see also Padilla v. Ashcroft, 334 F.3d 921, 925 (9th Cir.2003) (holding that an alien who illegally reenters is not eligible for adjustment of status because the reinstatement provision controls). The government further argues that the BIA has interpreted 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(9)(C)(i)(II) in the same way and that the BIA's interpretation is entitled to Chevron deference. See Chevron, 467 U.S. at 842-43, 104 S.Ct. 2778; Aguirre-Aguirre, 526 U.S. at 424-25, 119 S.Ct. 1439. In Matter of Torres-Garcia, the BIA dismissed an appeal of an IJ's ruling that an alien who had reentered illegally after having been removedand was therefore inadmissible pursuant to § 1182(a)(9)(C)(i)(II)was ineligible for adjustment of status and ineligible for any waiver of that ground of inadmissibility. 23 I. & N. Dec. 866, 867, 877 (B.I.A.2006). Although Torres-Garcia primarily was concerned with the alien's lack of eligibility for waivers of inadmissibility, we agree with the government that the BIA's. position is that an alien inadmissible pursuant to § 1182(a)(9)(C)(i)(II) is ineligible for adjustment of status pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1255(i). We now join our sister circuits in holding that an alien who is ruled inadmissible pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(9)(C)(i)(II), as a result of having reentered this country illegally after having been removed, is ineligible for adjustment of status pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1255(i).