Justia U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals Opinion Summaries

Buffalo Transportation seeks review of a final order of the OCAHO finding that it had committed substantive violations of Section 274A(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1324a(b). The OCAHO also affirmed the imposition of fines by ICE. The court agreed with the ALJ's finding that Buffalo Transportation had not timely complied with the requirements of 8 U.S.C. 1324a(b) and related regulations that require employers to verify that an employee is legally authorized to work in the United States through executing a Form I‐9 for each employee within three business days of hire. The court also agreed with the adjustments of ICE's original fine amounts. Accordingly, the court affirmed the judgment. View "Buffalo Transportation Inc. v. United States" on Justia Law

Petitioner, a citizen of Portugal and native of Angola, seeks review of DHS's order of removal that was issued without a hearing on the ground that he waived the right to challenge removal by submitting an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application and subsequently entering the country pursuant to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The court held that an ESTA record is sufficient evidence of waiver. In this case, the court concluded that the administrative record supports the agency’s finding that petitioner waived his right to a hearing by submitting an ESTA application and entering the United States pursuant to the VWP. Accordingly, the court denied the petition for review. View "Vasconcelos v. Lynch" on Justia Law

Petitioner, a native and citizen of the People's Republic of China, seeks review of the BIA's order affirming the IJ's denial of her application for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). Because petitioner did not object to the introduction of the credible fear interview notes at her merits hearing and did not make a due process argument in her brief to the BIA, the court declined to review her due process argument as unexhausted. The court agreed with petitioner that the IJ and BIA erred in some of its findings, but nonetheless concluded that substantial evidence supported the IJ and BIA's ultimate ruling regarding past persecution. The agency cited numerous and important consistencies among petitioner's testimony, written application, and credible fear interview. Finally, the court concluded that there is no error in the agency’s conclusion that petitioner failed to show that her fear of future persecution resulting from her activities with the China Democracy Party was objectively reasonable. Accordingly, the court denied the petition for review, vacated the stay of removal, and dismissed any pending motion for a stay of removal as moot. View "Li v. Lynch" on Justia Law

Respondents appealed the district court's grant of petitioner's petition for a writ of habeas corpus and order that petitioner be granted an individual bond hearing before an immigration judge. The district court found that petitioner's detention was governed by 8 U.S.C. 1226(a) and he was, therefore, entitled to a bond hearing. The court agreed, concluding that the language and structure of the statutes dictate the conclusion that petitioner’s detention during the pendency of his withholding‐only proceedings is detention pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1226(a). Accordingly, the court affirmed the judgment. View "Guerra v. Shanahan" on Justia Law

Petitioner, a native and citizen of Barbados, and lawful permanent resident of the United States, seeks review of the BIA's order affirming the IJ's denial of petitioner's application for cancellation of removal. Petitioner was found deportable under 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) on the basis of a prior conviction in 1997 under Title 35 of the Pennsylvania Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act 780‐113(a)(30) (1997), which was determined to be a conviction that related to a federal controlled substance. The court concluded that, because a conviction under 35 Pa. Stat. Ann. 780‐113(a)(30) is categorically a conviction under a law relating to a federal controlled substance under 8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(2)(B)(i), the court lacked jurisdiction to review the removability order. Accordingly, the court dismissed the petition for review. View "Collymore v. Lynch" on Justia Law

Petitioner, a citizen of Germany, seeks review of the BIA's dismissal of his appeal from the IJ's order of removal. Petitioner argued that his conviction for possession of child pornography under New York Penal Law 263.11 does not qualify as an aggravated felony under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(43)(I), because it lacks an interstate commerce element that is present in the analogous federal child pornography statute. The court rejected petitioner's argument, concluding that the Supreme Court held in Torres v. Lynch that violation of a state criminal law may constitute an aggravated felony for purposes of the INA even if the law lacks a federal jurisdictional element. Accordingly, the court denied the petition for review. View "Weiland v. Lynch" on Justia Law

Petitioner, a native and citizen of the Dominican Republic, seeks review of the BIA's decision affirming the IJ's denial of his applications for a waiver of deportation under former Immigration and Nationality Act 212(c), 8 U.S.C. 1182(c), and cancellation of removal under current INA 240A(a), 8 U.S.C. 1229b(a). Petitioner argued that Peralta-Taveras v. Attorney General, which precludes petitioner from relief, did not survive the Supreme Court's 2012 decision in Vartelas v. Holder. The court held that the Supreme Court’s decision in Vartelas does not cast doubt on its decision in Peralta-Taveras, and the rule of Peralta-Taveras precludes relief in this case. Petitioner, liked the petitioner in Peralta-Taveras, was on notice at the time of his controlled-substance convictions that his prior aggravated-felony convictions would preclude him from seeking section 240A relief if convicted of another removable offense. Accordingly, the court denied the petition for review. View "Nunez Pena v. Lynch" on Justia Law

Petitioner, a native and citizen of Guatemala, petitioned for review of the BIA's decision declining to certify, pursuant to 8 C.F.R. 1003.1(c), his untimely appeal of the May 14, 2013 order of removal of the IJ. The court concluded that the decision not to certify an untimely appeal is committed to agency discretion by law. Because the decision not to certify an untimely appeal is committed to BIA discretion, it is not subject to judicial review. The court remanded to the BIA for it to address the motion to reopen removal proceedings because the agency had not addressed the motion. View "Vela-Estrada v. Lynch" on Justia Law

Petitioner, a native and citizen of the People's Republic of China, petitioned for review of the BIA's determination that an IJ's findings of fact are clearly erroneous. The court concluded that, although the BIA recognized its obligation to apply the “clear error” standard of review to the IJ’s findings of fact, it erred in its application of that standard and provided an insufficient basis for rejecting the IJ’s findings. Therefore, the court granted the petition for review and remanded to the BIA for further consideration. View "Lin v. Lynch" on Justia Law

Plaintiff arrived in the United States on an H1-B visa and pursued employment-based status adjustment to permanent residency. Plaintiff's original petitioning employer filed an alien labor certification for her with the Department of Labor, followed by an I‐140 “Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker” with USCIS. Plaintiff filed for adjustment of status to obtain a green card and then changed employers pursuant to the portability provisions of the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act of 2000 (AC-21), 8 U.S.C. 1154(j) and 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(5)(A)(iv). The original petitioning employer subsequently pleaded guilty to mail fraud, USCIS initiated revocation of all petitions filed by the employer, but neither plaintiff nor her new employer were informed of these events. Denial of her green card application purportedly gave her notice of the I‐140 revocation. As a preliminary matter, the court concluded that it has subject matter jurisdiction to consider plaintiff's claims. On the merits, the court held that USCIS acted inconsistently with the statutory portability provisions of AC‐21 by providing notice of an intent to revoke neither i) to an alien beneficiary who has availed herself of the portability provisions to move to a successor employer nor ii) to the successor employer, who is not the original I‐140 petitioner, but who, as contemplated by AC‐21, has in effect adopted the original I‐140 petition. Accordingly, the court vacated and remanded for further proceedings. View "Mantena v. Johnson" on Justia Law