Opinion ID: 787530
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: NACARA Proceedings

Text: 4 In 1998, Ms. Laszcz moved to reopen her case to apply for suspension of deportation pursuant to the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA), Pub.L. 105-100, 111 Stat. 2193 (1998). NACARA allowed certain classes of aliens, including those of Polish origin, to reopen their closed immigration proceedings in order to apply for the discretionary relief of suspension of deportation. See id. § 203(c), 111 Stat. at 2199 (amending the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA) § 309(g), Pub.L. 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009-575, 3009-627); see also 8 C.F.R. § 3.43(b) (2002). After the passage of NACARA, an alien could obtain suspension of deportation if she could show seven years of continuous presence in the United States, good moral character during that period and extreme hardship to either the alien or to her United States citizen spouse, parent or child if removed. See Useinovic v. INS, 313 F.3d 1025, 1033-35 (7th Cir.2002); 8 U.S.C. § 1254(a) (1994) (repealed). Ms. Laszcz's motion to reopen her immigration proceedings was granted in March 2000. 5 The sole issue in Ms. Laszcz's reopened proceedings was whether she met the hardship requirement for suspension of deportation. Before an IJ, Ms. Laszcz testified about the effect that her removal would have on her family. She explained that she was a stay-at-home mother with two children in elementary school. She worried that her children, both United States citizens, would be forced to relocate to a foreign country with no friends and little family. She also feared that her removal would harm her marriage because her husband likely would not return to Poland with her; although her parents remain in Poland, her husband's parents live in the United States. The IJ was not persuaded, however, and found that Ms. Laszcz's testimony did not rise to the level of hardship required for suspension of deportation. The IJ also questioned whether Ms. Laszcz had demonstrated good moral character, noting that she had entered the country illegally and failed to depart when ordered. In November 2002, the BIA summarily affirmed the IJ's decision, see 8 C.F.R. § 3.1(e)(4), and Ms. Laszcz petitioned this court for review. 6 While briefing proceeded in this case, we directed the parties to discuss the following two issues: (1) whether a motion to reopen to apply for special rule suspension of deportation under § 309(g) of IIRIRA, as amended by § 203 of NACARA, should be viewed as a continuation of a prior deportation proceeding or a new removal proceeding; and (2) if a motion to reopen under NACARA is treated as a continuation of a prior deportation proceeding, whether cases where a final order of deportation was first entered on or before October 30, 1996, should be governed by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) § 106(a) or IIRIRA § 309(c)(4)(E). The parties have submitted their positions, and the case is ready for decision. II