Opinion ID: 202941
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Due Process and Removal of Jurisdiction

Text: Hana also argues that Congress has violated his right to due process by precluding our review over asylum timeliness decisions (including extraordinary circumstances decisions) under 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(3). [3] The Supreme Court has recognized Congress's plenary power over matters of immigration and naturalization. See, e.g., Reno v. Flores, 507 U.S. 292, 305, 113 S.Ct. 1439, 123 L.Ed.2d 1 (1993) (`[O]ver no conceivable subject is the legislative power of Congress more complete. . . .' (quoting Oceanic Steam Navig. Co. v. Stranahan, 214 U.S. 320, 339, 29 S.Ct. 671, 53 L.Ed. 1013 (1909))). Such plenary power has traditionally included Congress's power to remove judicial jurisdiction over executive decisions involving aliens. See, e.g., Carlson v. Landon, 342 U.S. 524, 537, 72 S.Ct. 525, 96 L.Ed. 547 (1952) (The power to expel aliens, being essentially a power of the political branches of government, the legislative and executive, may be exercised entirely through executive officers, `with such opportunity for judicial review of their action as congress may see fit to authorize or permit.'). Deportation, according to the Supreme Court, is not a criminal proceeding and has never been held to be punishment . . . [, and thus] [n]o judicial review is guaranteed by the Constitution. Id. Relying on the Supreme Court's holding in Carlson, both the Third and Ninth Circuits have explicitly rejected the argument that the jurisdictional bar of 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(3) represents a due process violation. See, e.g., Sukwanputra v. Gonzales, 434 F.3d 627, 632-33 (3d Cir.2006) (Because judicial review is not constitutionally guaranteed, the judicial review bar of § 1158(a)(3) does not violate the Due Process Clause.); Hakeem v. INS, 273 F.3d 812, 815-16 (9th Cir.2001) (holding that the removal of jurisdiction over timeliness decisions does not violate the Due Process Clause). While we have not previously addressed the question whether the jurisdictional bar of 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(3) represents a due process violation, we have held that removal of judicial review in the immigration context does not raise constitutional issues when some avenue for judicial relief remains available to address core legal and constitutional concerns. See Kolster v. INS, 101 F.3d 785, 791 (1st Cir.1996). We have also held that the one-year deadline for submission of asylum applications does not violate aliens' due process rights. Ticoalu v. Gonzales, 472 F.3d 8, 11 (1st Cir.2006) (rejecting a due process challenge to the enforcement of the one-year limitation on asylum applications because [d]ue process rights do not accrue to discretionary forms of relief, and asylum is a discretionary form of relief). Drawing on these precedents, we now join our sister circuits in holding that the judicial review bar of § 1158(a)(3) does not represent a due process violation. Accordingly, we have no jurisdiction to review the BIA's rejection of Hana's application for asylum on timeliness grounds.