Opinion ID: 202336
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Burden of Demonstrating Predicate Conviction

Text: 19 The initial question presented by Rumierz's arguments is whether the BIA's allocation of the burden on the alien, in these circumstances, to demonstrate that the Pickering standard has been met is either contrary to the relevant statute or an impermissible construction of the statute. See Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Res. Def. Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837, 842-43, 104 S.Ct. 2778, 81 L.Ed.2d 694 (1984). 20 The odd procedural posture in which this case came to the BIA—through a district court order that the BIA reconsider in light of the vacated conviction — makes no difference to the standard of review we use to determine whether we can reverse the choice of the BIA to place the burden on the petitioner on these facts. Nor does it make a difference to our standard of review of the BIA's ruling that Rumierz had not met his burden. 21 Rumierz argues that the BIA's allocation of burdens is inconsistent with the statute. He says that under 8 U.S.C. §§ 1101(a)(48)(A) and 1229a(c)(3)(A), the government must always bear the burden of proof on showing a conviction of a crime of moral turpitude, regardless of whether the issue arises in the context of the alien having vacated the conviction after a final order of removal. He also argues that the placing of the burden on him is inconsistent with two Board rulings: Pickering and In re Ortiz-Herrera, Ark-xvm-ewb, 2005 WL 3016102 (BIA Aug. 2, 2005) (unpublished decision). However, Ortiz-Herrera has no precedential value, 4 and Pickering does not address the issue of burdens. 22 The first prong of the Chevron test asks whether Congress has directly spoken to the precise question at issue. 467 U.S. at 842-43, 104 S.Ct. 2778. Rumierz relies heavily on the INA section defining the term conviction: 23 The term conviction means, with respect to an alien, a formal judgment of guilt of the alien entered by a court or, if adjudication of guilt has been withheld, where — 24 (i) a judge or jury has found the alien guilty or the alien has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere or has admitted sufficient facts to warrant a finding of guilt, and 25 (ii) the judge has ordered some form of punishment, penalty, or restraint on the alien's liberty to be imposed. 26 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(48)(A). This section itself does not assign burdens. 27 But 8 U.S.C. § 1229a provides that the burden of proof is on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of establishing by clear and convincing evidence that, in the case of an alien who has been lawfully admitted to the United States, the alien is deportable. 28 In the proceeding, the [DHS] has the burden of establishing by clear and convincing evidence that, in the case of an alien who has been admitted to the United States, the alien is deportable. No decision on deportability shall be valid unless it is based upon reasonable, substantial, and probative evidence. 29 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(c)(3)(A). The BIA found, in both its August 2000 order and its February 2004 order after reconsideration, that the government had met its burden in the proceedings leading to the August 2000 removal order. Rumierz does not contest that. 30 Both statutes, however, are silent on who has the burden of showing the effect of convictions which are vacated or modified after final orders of removal have entered. See Pinho v. Gonzales, 432 F.3d 193, 206 (3d Cir.2005) (noting that [n]othing in the statute specifically addresses vacated convictions and turning to a Chevron analysis). Thus, Congress has not spoken directly to the issue, and the BIA's position cannot be said to be contrary to the statute. 31 Turning to the second prong of the Chevron analysis, whether the agency's answer is based on a permissible construction of the statute, 467 U.S. at 842-43, 104 S.Ct. 2778, a court must uphold the BIA's interpretation of a silent or ambiguous statute so long as it is reasonable and consistent with the statute. See INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. 421, 445 n. 29, 447-48, 107 S.Ct. 1207, 94 L.Ed.2d 434 (1987); Estrada-Canales v. Gonzales, 437 F.3d 208, 214-15 (1st Cir.2006). Further, as we noted in Herrera-Inirio, [b]ecause agency officials acting in the immigration context `exercise especially sensitive political functions that implicate questions of foreign relations,' deference to administrative expertise is particularly appropriate. 208 F.3d at 304 (internal citation omitted) (quoting INS v. Abudu, 485 U.S. 94, 110, 108 S.Ct. 904, 99 L.Ed.2d 90 (1988)). 32 Placing the burden on the alien in these circumstances is consistent with BIA regulations. This allocation of burdens accords with the usual BIA rules that the burden is on the alien to show that there is a reason to reopen or to reconsider the case. 5 Even if a prima facie case for relief is shown, the BIA has discretion to deny a motion to reopen. 8 C.F.R. § 1003.2(a); see also Maryam v. Gonzales, 421 F.3d 60, 62 (1st Cir.2005). 33 Most importantly, the placing of the burden on the alien in these circumstances serves the interest of finality. That interest in finality is already reflected in the statutes and the BIA's rules, which both set time limits for motions to reopen and place the burden on the alien seeking to reopen. 6 Abudu, 485 U.S. at 107-08, 108 S.Ct. 904. As the Supreme Court has noted: 34 Motions for reopening of immigration proceedings are disfavored for the same reasons as are petitions for rehearing and motions for a new trial on the basis of newly discovered evidence. This is especially true in a deportation proceeding, where, as a general matter, every delay works to the advantage of the deportable alien who wishes merely to remain in the United States. 35 INS v. Doherty, 502 U.S. 314, 323, 112 S.Ct. 719, 116 L.Ed.2d 823 (1992) (internal citation omitted) (citing Abudu, 485 U.S. at 107-08, 108 S.Ct. 904). 36 The placement of burdens is also consistent with an earlier BIA decision, albeit one the BIA did not cite in the opinion. 7 See In re Beckford, 22 I. & N. Dec. 1216 (BIA 2000) (en banc). The BIA, in In re Beckford, held that when an alien files a motion to reopen (purporting to attack a predicate conviction underlying a removal order), the burden is on the alien to show that the conditions for reopening have been met, even though the burden had been on the government initially to show that the alien was removable. Id. at 1218. Where the motion to reopen is untimely, for example, where the state conviction is not vacated until after the time period for filing motions to reopen has expired, then the burden is also on the alien to establish that the motion presents an exceptional situation warranting further review. Id. As Beckford said: 37 The current posture of this case is critical to our decision. Were this case now before us on direct appeal, we might be inclined to remand for a further hearing. However, the fact that this is an untimely motion necessarily changes our point of view. A criminal defendant is initially the beneficiary of the rule that the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. However, once having been found guilty, the defendant bears the burden of proof if he wishes to attack that finding. Similarly, the Service initially bears the burden of proof in a removal proceeding, but once an alien is found removable (and that finding is upheld on appeal, if an appeal is taken), the burden shifts to the alien who wishes to attack that finding. We note that, even where a motion to reopen is not untimely, the motion will not be granted unless there is a reasonable likelihood of success upon reopening. This is particularly so when the motion seeking further review of the finding is untimely. 38 Id. (emphasis added) (internal citations omitted) (citing Taylor v. Illinois, 484 U.S. 400, 414, 108 S.Ct. 646, 98 L.Ed.2d 798 (1988); INS v. Doherty, 502 U.S. 314, 112 S.Ct. 719, 116 L.Ed.2d 823 (1992); Abudu, 485 U.S. 94, 108 S.Ct. 904, 99 L.Ed.2d 90). 39 Here, the BIA explicitly noted that the vacating of the conviction was late in the proceedings and that the conviction in question was entered in January 1994, and . . . the deportation proceedings began in March of 1994. Further, the BIA noted that Rumierz could easily have sought to vacate the January 1994 Vermont conviction and have presented the vacated conviction to the BIA in the six years before the BIA's 2000 order. 8 For this reason, as well, the BIA's order is rational. 9 40 We outline several other reasons that placing the burden on Rumierz is rational. A shift of burden from the government to the individual when there is a collateral attack on a final judgment, as here, is quite common in the criminal law. For instance, the Court has placed the burden of proof on federal habeas petitioners who, under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, seek to vacate an already-imposed federal sentence on the basis that predicate state offenses had been vacated. 10 See Daniels v. United States, 532 U.S. 374, 382, 121 S.Ct. 1578, 149 L.Ed.2d 590 (2001); Custis v. United States, 511 U.S. 485, 496-97, 114 S.Ct. 1732, 128 L.Ed.2d 517 (1994); cf. Taylor, 484 U.S. at 414, 108 S.Ct. 646 (holding that there is a presumption that new evidence, discovered by criminal defendant after trial is over, would not change outcome of trial). 41 As to this case, in which there are concerns that the alien has not acted with due diligence, the BIA order is also rational by analogy to Johnson v. United States, 544 U.S. 295, 125 S.Ct. 1571, 161 L.Ed.2d 542 (2005), which held that the defendant's failure to act with due diligence in overturning a predicate state conviction underlying sentencing enhancement precluded resort to a renewed limitations period under the federal habeas statute. See id. at 310-11, 125 S.Ct. 1571. 42 We reject the challenge to the BIA's decision to place the burden of proof on Rumierz. 43