Opinion ID: 4517048
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Removal Proceedings Before the IJ

Text: In March 2018, DHS issued a Notice to Appear charging Soriano Nunez as removable under the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”) § 212(a)(6)(A)(i), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(6)(A)(i), as an alien present in the United States without being admitted or paroled, and INA § 212(a)(6)(C)(ii), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(6)(C)(ii), as an alien who falsely represented herself as a citizen of the United States. 2 Soriano Nunez first appeared for removal proceedings in May 2018. She invoked her Fifth Amendment right to remain silent because of her criminal proceedings. She did not testify but did, however, deny all allegations and the charge of removability. The IJ sustained Soriano Nunez’s charge of removability and denied her motion to continue the immigration proceedings to allow for the conclusion of her federal prosecution. In August 2018, Soriano Nunez appeared before a new IJ, continued to claim her Fifth Amendment privilege, and objected to the evidence submitted by DHS. That IJ declined to sustain the charge under § 212(a)(6)(C)(ii) (falsely representing to be a citizen), but granted DHS leave to submit additional evidence. In January 2019, Soriano Nunez appeared before yet another IJ. The IJ admitted into evidence, over Soriano Nunez’s hearsay objections, her application for cancellation of removal under § 240A(b) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. § 1229b(b), her Form I-213, and DHS’s affidavit from a Department of State special agent. The IJ ruled that the evidence submitted by DHS was probative and fair. The IJ concluded that DHS established removability under § 212(a)(6)(A)(i) (alien present without being admitted) by clear and convincing evidence, noting, among other things, that the Form I-213 was reliable, that other evidence submitted by DHS (including Soriano Nunez’s birth certificate and a report containing statements from her parents) indicated her alienage, and that Soriano Nunez herself confirmed her name and place of birth in her application for cancellation of removal. The IJ thus ruled that Soriano Nunez did not meet her burden to establish by clear and convincing evidence that she was lawfully present in the United States. 3 The IJ also sustained the charge of removal against Soriano Nunez under § 212(a)(6)(C)(ii) (alien who falsely represented herself to be a citizen). Although the IJ recognized that DHS cannot establish removability solely through a negative inference drawn from a Fifth Amendment assertion of silence, she concluded that DHS submitted “overwhelming” evidence—including Soriano Nunez’s indictment, a Department of State investigation report, and passport applications—that, coupled with her silence, established removability. Finally, the IJ denied Soriano Nunez’s application for cancellation of removal because she failed to meet her burden of establishing that she satisfies all of the eligibility requirements and that she merits relief as a matter of discretion. The IJ observed that a person who has made a false claim of citizenship may be considered as lacking good moral character. Further, Soriano Nunez was unable to meet her burden as to the physical presence and hardship requirements, as she did not submit documents regarding her qualifying relatives or other relevant information.