Court Opinion

ID: 2964312
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2015-09-21 21:23:52.200766+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:42:53.740967
License: Public Domain

USCA1 Opinion

	

          October 11, 1996  UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT

                                   _______________

          No.  96-1314

                        EAN ANTHONY INNIS, a/k/a ANTHONY ROME,
                               a/k/a EAN ANTHONY INNIS,
                                     Petitioner,

                                          v.

                       IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE,
                                     Respondent.

                                _____________________

                                     ERRATA SHEET

                                            

               The  opinion of this Court  issued on September  24, 1996 is
          amended as follows:

               On page 2, line 7, change "here" to "hear"

          October 4, 1996       [NOT FOR PUBLICATION]
                            UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                                FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT
                                 ____________________

        No. 96-1314

                        EAN ANTHONY INNIS, a/k/a ANTHONY ROME,
                               a/k/a EAN ANTHONY INNIS,

                                     Petitioner,

                                          v.

                       IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE,

                                     Respondent.

                                 ____________________

                          ON PETITION FOR REVIEW OF AN ORDER

                         OF THE BOARD OF IMMIGRATION APPEALS

                                 ____________________

                                        Before

                                Torruella, Chief Judge,
                                           ___________
                            Cyr and Stahl, Circuit Judges.
                                           ______________

                                 ____________________

            Ean Anthony Innis on brief pro se.
            _________________
            Frank W.  Hunger, Assistant Attorney  General, Brenda E.  Ellison,
            ________________                               __________________
        Senior  Litigation  Counsel,  Office  of Immigration  Litigation,  and
        Ernesto H. Molina, Jr., Attorney, Office of Immigration Litigation.
        ______________________

                                 ____________________

                                 ____________________

                 Per  Curiam.  After careful review of the record and the
                 ___________

            petition for  review,  we  find  no  reason  to  reverse  the

            decision of the BIA.  Accordingly, we affirm, essentially for

            the  reasons  stated  in   that  decision,  adding  only  the

            following comments.

                 1.   We   assume,  without   deciding,   that  we   have

            jurisdiction to  hear this petition.   See Anti-Terrorism and
                                                   ___

            Effective Death Penalty Act, Public Law No. 104-132,   440(a)

            (to be codified at 8 U.S.C.   1105(a)(10)).

                 2.  The BIA  considered all the evidence,  made specific

            findings  as to both  the positive and  negative factors, and

            explained  how it  reached  the  decision  that  petitioner's

            outstanding   equities  (long  residence,  family  ties,  and

            rehabilitation  efforts)  were  outweighed  by  his extensive

            criminal  history.    The grant  or  denial  of  a waiver  of

            deportation  remains a  matter  of BIA  discretion, and  this

            court will not "second-guess the Board on the manner in which

            it weights  different factors  when arriving at  its ultimate

            decision."   See Gouveia v. INS, 980  F.2d 814, 819 (1st Cir.
                         ___ _______    ___

            1992).

                 3.   Petitioner argues in essence  that he was "merely a

            minor  drug peddlar" and not  a "drug trafficker,"  and so he

            should not  have been required to  show outstanding equities.

            See Elramly v. INS, 73  F.3d 220, 223 (9th Cir.  1995), cert.
            ___ _______    ___                                      _____

            granted, 116 S. Ct.  1260 (1996).   To the  contrary, the  BIA
            _______

                                         -2-

            decision  shows it considered petitioner's extensive criminal

            history  in   detail  in   determining  that  a   showing  of

            outstanding equities was required.

                 4.   There  is  no   record  support  for   petitioner's

            assertion that he was not notified  at that time of his  drug

            sentencing about  any immigration consequences that  he might

            face.    In any  event, petitioner conceded  the grounds  for

            deportation  before the  immigration  judge, and  he may  not

            challenge   the  validity  of   his  drug  conviction  during

            immigration proceedings.  See Gouveia, 980 F.2d at 817.
                                      ___ _______

                 5.   Finally,  we  reject  petitioner's   argument  that

            deportation,  a   civil  proceeding,  is  cruel  and  unusual

            punishment.  See Hernandez-Rivera v. INS, 630 F.2d 1352, 1356
                         ___ ________________    ___

            (9th Cir. 1980).

                 There  being  no  substantial  question for  review,  we

            summarily affirm the decision of the BIA and deny and dismiss
                      ______                             ____     _______

            the petition for review.  See 1st Cir. Loc. R. 27.1.
                                      ___

                                                 

                                         -3-