Opinion ID: 796743
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Burden of Proof in Removal Proceedings

Text: 12 Following Congress's passage of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, Pub.L. No. 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009, (IIRIRA), there is a single category of immigration proceedings for adjudicating whether an alien is legally present in the United States—namely, removal proceedings. 11 The burden of proof in removal proceedings differs, however, depending on an alien's immigration status at the time his proceedings are commenced. In particular, an individual who is an applicant for admission to the United States at the time of his removal proceeding is deemed to be legally at the border and bears the burden of establishing that he is clearly and beyond doubt entitled to be admitted and is not inadmissible . . . or . . . by clear and convincing evidence, that [he] is lawfully present in the United States pursuant to a prior admission. 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(c)(2). 13 By contrast, in a removal proceeding commenced after an alien has been formally admitted to the country, the Service [ i.e., the government] has the burden of establishing by clear, convincing evidence that . . . the alien is deportable, 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(c)(3)(A). 14 Accordingly, whether an alien's presence in the United States is pursuant to a prior admission is the decisive factor in determining whether the alien or the government bears the burden of proof in removal proceedings.