Opinion ID: 490557
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Attack on Prior Deportation

Text: 13 Campos attacks the use of his 1985 deportation on the grounds that he was not represented by counsel at the deportation hearing, was not informed of his right to counsel and of the availability of free legal help, and did not waive counsel. At the time the district court heard Campos' case, this Court prohibited such collateral attacks on deportation orders. United States v. De La Cruz Sepulveda, 656 F.2d 1129, 1131 (5th Cir.1981); United States v. Gonzalez-Parra, 438 F.2d 694, 697 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 402 U.S. 1010, 91 S.Ct. 2196, 29 L.Ed.2d 433 (1971). Relying on these precedents, the district court refused to consider Campos' attack on his deportation. 14 Between Campos' trial and the instant appeal, however, the Supreme Court has authorized collateral attacks on deportation orders in prosecutions under 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1326. United States v. Mendoza-Lopez, --- U.S. ----, 107 S.Ct. 2148, 95 L.Ed.2d 772 (U.S. 1987). The Court characterized prior deportation as an enhancement element, raising an illegal entry from a misdemeanor to a felony. Id., 107 S.Ct. at 2156 n. 18. An alien accused under section 1326 is in an analogous position to a defendant whose misdemeanor conviction is enhanced to a felony because of a prior uncounselled misdemeanor conviction. Id., citing Baldasar v. Illinois, 446 U.S. 222, 100 S.Ct. 1585, 64 L.Ed.2d 169 (1980). [W]here a determination made in an administrative proceeding [, e.g., a deportation hearing,] is to play a critical role in the subsequent imposition of a criminal sanction, there must be some meaningful review of the administrative proceeding. Id., 107 S.Ct. at 2154. The alien must be able to raise errors in the prior deportation proceeding if the errors are so fundamental that they may functionally deprive the alien of judicial review. Id., 107 S.Ct. at 2155 n. 17. If the alien can establish such errors, the prior deportation will not be overturned, but the Government may not use that deportation to increase the punishment for illegal reentry. Id. 15 In Mendoza-Lopez, the Supreme Court accepted the district court's finding that the defendants were not adequately informed of their rights to appeal and to request suspension of deportation. Id., 107 S.Ct. at 2151. The Court did not specify what other errors would support a collateral attack. Id., 107 S.Ct. at 2155 n. 17. The final issue before this Court is whether a failure to inform Campos of his right to counsel and of the availability of free counsel, if proven, would be the kind of error envisioned in Mendoza-Lopez. 2 16 Because deportation is a civil proceeding, potential deportees have no sixth amendment right to counsel. Mantell v. United States Department of Justice, I.N.S., 798 F.2d 124, 127 (5th Cir.1986); Paul v. United States I.N.S., 521 F.2d 194, 197 (5th Cir.1975). However, an alien has a right to counsel if the absence of counsel would violate due process under the fifth amendment. Mantell, 798 F.2d 127; Paul, 521 F.2d at 197. Other circuits have reached the same conclusion. See, e.g., Magallanes-Damian v. I.N.S., 783 F.2d 931, 933 (9th Cir.1986); Cobourne v. I.N.S., 779 F.2d 1564, 1566 (11th Cir.1986); Castaneda-Delgado v. I.N.S., 525 F.2d 1295, 1300 (7th Cir.1975). Aliens also have a statutory right to counsel, although not at Government expense, and I.N.S. regulations provide that aliens be told of this right and given a list of free legal services. 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1252(b)(2); 8 C.F.R. Sec. 242.1(c) (1987). 17 This Court has reversed a deportation order in a case where the alien, although informed of her right to counsel, waived her rights without being provided with any understanding by the immigration judge of the complexity of her dilemma and without any awareness of the cogent legal arguments which could have been made on her behalf. Partible v. I.N.S., 600 F.2d 1094, 1096 (5th Cir.1979). The Partible Court stressed that the laws and regulations determining Partible's deportability were too complex for a pro se alien, and that the outcome of the proceeding may have been different if counsel had been present. Id. 18 Ordinarily, a case overturning established precedent in this Circuit would be set for oral argument. However, at this stage of the case, an oral argument panel could do no more than reaffirm two now indisputable abstract propositions: that Mendoza-Lopez allows some collateral attacks on prior deportation orders, and that, under Partible, some deprivations of counsel justify reversal of deportation orders. In the instant case the difficult question is whether the deprivation of counsel, if any, amounted to denial of due process. The record before this Court at the present time is so sparse that this Court cannot even determine whether Campos in fact had counsel at his 1985 deportation hearing. In the interest of the proper administration of justice, it is preferable that the present case be remanded to the district court, without expressing an opinion on the ultimate outcome. Supplied with the facts, this Court may then properly review the district court determinations in an appeal after remand, should there be one. 19 On remand, the district court must determine: whether Campos was in fact represented by counsel at his 1985 deportation hearing; if not, whether Campos was informed of his right to representation and given a reasonable chance to exercise that right; whether Campos competently waived that right; and whether these deprivations, if established, prejudiced Campos by rendering the deportation hearing fundamentally unfair or denying Campos judicial review under the new Mendoza-Lopez standard. 20 Mendoza-Lopez overturned this Court's precedents blocking attacks on prior deportation proceedings in criminal trials under 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1326. Campos' conviction is, therefore, REVERSED, and the case is REMANDED to the district court with directions to reconsider Campos' claims concerning his 1985 deportation.