Opinion ID: 1469016
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Burden of Proof to Show Good-Faith Marriage

Text: During the adjudication of Ibrahimi's waiver of the joint-filing requirement, the IJ placed the burden of proof on the Department to show that Ibrahimi entered his marriage in good faith. On appeal, the BIA reallocated the burden of proof, requiring that Ibrahimi be the one to establish that he entered a good-faith marriage. Ibrahimi first argues that the BIA erred in placing the burden of proof on him and that the IJ was correct in stating that the Department bore the burden. Ibrahimi further claims that even if the IJ improperly allocated the burden of proof, the BIA erred in reallocating that burden without comment. This court reviews an agency's legal determinations de novo, according substantial deference to the agency's interpretation of the statutes and regulations it administers. Llapa-Sinchi v. Mukasey, 520 F.3d 897, 899 (8th Cir.2008) (quotation omitted). Section 1186a(c) governs petitions to remove the conditions on permanent-resident status and waive the joint-filing requirement. Contrary to Ibrahimi's argument, and in line with the BIA's decision, this section places the burden of proof to establish a good-faith marriage on the alien when that alien files a petition to remove the conditional basis of his permanent resident status: The Attorney General, in the Attorney General's discretion, may remove the conditional basis of the permanent resident status for an alien who fails to meet the requirements of paragraph (1) if the alien demonstrates ... the qualifying marriage was entered into in good faith by the alien spouse.... 8 U.S.C. § 1186a(4) (emphasis added); see also Nyonzele v. INS, 83 F.3d 975, 980 (8th Cir.1996); Roos v. U.S. Attorney Gen., 167 Fed.Appx. 752, 754-55 (11th Cir. 2006) (unpublished); Gaur v. Gonzalez, 124 Fed.Appx. 738, 740 (3d Cir.2005) (unpublished). [4] The fact that the BIA corrected the IJ's erroneous allocation of the burden of proof without comment does not require a remand. The BIA had the power to conduct a de novo review of the IJ's legal conclusions pursuant to 8 C.F.R. § 1003. 1(d)(3)(ii). It did not, therefore, err when it corrected the IJ's misstep without comment. Cf. De Brown v. Dept. of Justice, 18 F.3d 774, 778 (9th Cir.1994) (finding no error when the BIA affirmed the IJ's conclusion after applying a different standard of proof than the IJ). We conclude that the BIA properly placed the burden on Ibrahimi to show that he entered his marriage in good faith.