Opinion ID: 3034529
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Continuing Crime

Text: The majority argues in support of its result that OrtizHernandez’s crime is different from ordinary crimes. It writes, “We must also consider the nature of the crime OrtizHernandez is facing — the continuing violation of federal law by his ongoing presence in the United States.” Majority op. at 14819. This argument was made, and explicitly rejected, in Lopez-Mendoza. The Supreme Court noted that release of Sandoval-Sanchez within the borders of this country “would clearly frustrate the express public policy against an alien’s unregistered presence in this country.” 468 U.S. at 1047. For this, among other reasons, the Court held that the exclusionary rule does not apply in civil deportation proceedings. Under the Supreme Court’s opinion in Lopez-Mendoza, Sandoval-Sanchez could be deported despite the Fourth Amendment violation, just as Ortiz-Hernandez, the defendant in this case, may be deported. But the Court in Lopez-Mendoza rejected the conclusion that the ongoing nature of Sandoval-Sanchez’s immigration violation required the elimination of the exclusionary rule in criminal proceedings. The nature of the immigration crime required the deportation of the illegal alien. But it did not require the elimination of the exclusionary rule to allow him to be criminally convicted. Responding directly to the concern expressed by the majority, the Court wrote in Lopez-Mendoza, “When the crime in question involves unlawful presence in this country, the criminal may go free, but he should not go free within our borders.” 468 U.S. at 1047 (emphasis added).