Opinion ID: 171411
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether the Agency's Construction is Permissible

Text: A more serious question is presented as to whether the agency's construction of § 1231(a)(6), as implemented in 8 C.F.R. § 241.14, is a permissible one. The Attorney General promulgated 8 C.F.R. § 241.14 in response to the Supreme Court's holding in Zadvydas, in order to provide for the continued detention of limited classes of aliens in a manner comporting with constitutional requirements. See Continued Detention of Aliens Subject to Final Orders of Removal, 66 Fed.Reg. 56,968-69 (Nov. 14, 2001). The regulation interpreted § 1231(a)(6) to authorize an alien's long-term non-punitive detention only where limited special circumstances are present and particular procedural requirements are satisfied. Mr. Hernandez-Carrera and Mr. Hernandez-Arenado, however, argue that 8 C.F.R. § 241.14 is an unreasonable construction of § 1231(a)(6) for three reasons. First, they argue that the Attorney General is no longer free to construe § 1231(a)(6), on the theory that the Supreme Court's holdings in Zadvydas and Martinez conclusively established the meaning of the statute. Second, they argue that the canon of constitutional avoidance used in Zadvydas and [ Martinez ] to interpret the statute trumps Chevron deference. Aple. Br. 21, and that this precludes us from deferring to the agency in this case. Finally, they argue that even if deference is permissible as a general matter, the agency's construction of § 1231(a)(6) is unreasonable, because it raises serious questions as to the statute's constitutionality under the Due Process Clause. We consider each argument in turn.