Opinion ID: 9475
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: analysis

Text: 8 We first must determine whether the AEDPA evinces a clear congressional intent that § 440(a) applies retroactively to appeals which were pending in our Court when the AEDPA was signed into law. As usual, we start with the language of the statute, itself. Kellogg v. United States (In re West Texas Marketing Corp.), 54 F.3d 1194, 1200 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 116 S.Ct. 523, 133 L.Ed.2d 430 (1995). 9 Prior to enactment of the AEDPA, our Court's jurisdiction to review final orders of alien deportation arose under § 106 of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, as amended, 8 U.S.C. § 1105a(a). Section 106 provided, in relevant part: 10 The procedure prescribed by, and all the provisions of Chapter 158 of Title 28 shall apply to, and shall be the sole and exclusive procedure for, the judicial review of all final orders of deportation heretofore or hereafter made against aliens within the United States pursuant to administrative proceedings under section 1252(b) of this title or comparable provisions of any prior Act, except that-- 11       12 (10) ... any alien held in custody pursuant to an order of deportation may obtain judicial review thereof by habeas corpus proceedings. 13 8 U.S.C. § 1105a(a) (1996). Through § 106, Congress had expressly conferred jurisdiction upon the courts to hear the appeals of aliens seeking to challenge the final deportation orders of the BIA. 14 On April 24, 1996, during the pendency of Petitioner's appeal to our Court, § 106 was amended by the enactment of § 440(a) of the AEDPA. Section 440(a) revoked the judiciary's jurisdiction to review final orders of deportation against aliens who had been convicted of certain, enumerated, criminal offenses. In its entirety, § 440(a) reads as follows: 15 Sec. 440. CRIMINAL ALIEN REMOVAL. 16 (a) JUDICIAL REVIEW.--Section 106 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1105a(a)(10)) is amended to read as follows: 17 (10) Any final order of deportation against an alien who is deportable by reason of having committed a criminal offense covered in section 241(a)(2)(A)(iii), (B), (C), (D), or any offense covered by section 241(a)(2)(A)(ii) for which both predicate offenses are covered by section 241(a)(2)(A)(I), shall not be subject to review by any court. 18 AEDPA, Pub.Law No. 104-132, § 440(a), 110 Stat. 1214 (1996) (to be codified at 8 U.S.C. § 1105a(a)(10)). Thus, § 440(a) effectively eliminates all judicial review of certain criminal alien appeals, and, correspondingly, our sole source of appellate jurisdiction to hear such cases. This much is not in dispute. What the parties do dispute is the effective date of the § 440(a) amendment. 19 The AEDPA, which contains more than 100 pages, is organized by Title, Section, and Sub-Section. While there is no one effective date which governs all of the provisions within the AEDPA, Title IV, within which § 440(a) is found, contains specific effective dates for several of its Sections and Sub-Sections. The question before us is whether Congress has expressly prescribed an effective date for § 440(a). After carefully reviewing the AEDPA, and Title IV, in particular, we conclude that Congress has not expressly provided an effective date for § 440(a). 4 20 Given the absence of guiding instructions from Congress, we next ask whether § 440(a) is the type of provision which should govern cases arising before its enactment. Landgraf, 511 U.S. at ----, 114 S.Ct. at 1505. Because § 440(a) explicitly affects jurisdiction, it speaks to the power of the court, rather than to the rights or obligations of the parties. As such, it is easily classified as jurisdictional in nature. We, therefore, must presume that § 440(a)'s bar of judicial review retroactively applies in this action. 5 21 Rebuttal of this presumption requires some showing that the jurisdictional nature of this action curtailed one or more of Petitioner's substantive rights. Petitioner does not challenge the fact that he is an alien properly found deportable by reason of his conviction of an aggravated felony; his sole ground of appeal is the allegation that the BIA abused its discretion in determining that, although eligible for § 212(c) relief, he did not merit a favorable exercise of discretionary relief thereunder. Petitioner has failed to show that any of his substantive rights has been curtailed. We hold that Petitioner has not rebutted the presumption of § 440's retroactive application. Accordingly, § 440(a) bars judicial review of the BIA decision in this case.