Opinion ID: 3197061
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Acosta's Evidence

Text: Acosta appeared twice for hearings before the IJ, in July and October 2012. To support his argument that he was admitted to the United States, Acosta submitted affidavits from himself, his father, and his uncle, and Acosta testified during the July hearing. At the hearing, he explained that he had entered 2 Neither party disputes this interpretation of admitted. -3- the United States, at the age of thirteen, on August 27, 2001. According to Acosta's testimony, his uncle and primary caretaker at the time, Julio César Acosta-Salinas (Julio César), had obtained a visa and passport for him. Julio César later escorted Acosta to the airport in Medellín, Colombia. There, Julio César met with a man identified in Julio César's affidavit as the travel agent responsible for providing Acosta's travel documents.3 Acosta testified that he then bid farewell to his uncle and met a female airline attendant who accompanied him onto the plane. During this process, he at no point had possession of his passport; rather, the airline attendant was responsible for his travel documents. Julio César's affidavit largely corroborates this testimony. Acosta stated that he landed in Miami that afternoon. Upon arrival, the airline attendant escorted him to an immigration official and gave the official Acosta's documents for inspection. Acosta was not questioned by the official, who communicated with the airline attendant instead. Another airline attendant then accompanied Acosta on a flight from Miami to Boston, Massachusetts.4 Acosta stated that, after he landed in Boston, 3 As discussed herein, Acosta did not mention this individual in his affidavit. 4 Whereas Acosta's testimony from his direct examination seems to suggest that the same flight attendant accompanied him from Medellín to Miami and then from Miami to Boston, during his crossexamination and in his affidavit, Acosta stated that a different -4- his father, Omar Alberto Acosta-Salinas (Acosta, Sr.), who was residing in Massachusetts at the time, greeted him at the airport. Acosta testified that the flight attendant held his travel documents on the second flight and gave these papers to his father upon their arrival. Acosta, Sr.'s affidavit is consistent with this testimony. Acosta avers that he has not left the United States since his arrival in 2001. Acosta testified that he first learned that his travel documentation was fraudulent when he met with USCIS to discuss his application for permanent residence. Following the hearing before the IJ, Acosta submitted a supplemental memorandum indicating that he took a favorable polygraph examination that corroborated his account of being inspected and admitted to the United States in Miami in August 2001.