Baez-Sanchez v. Kolitwenzew

360 F. Supp. 3d 808
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. Illinois
DecidedDecember 21, 2018
DocketCase No. 2:18-cv-02134
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 360 F. Supp. 3d 808 (Baez-Sanchez v. Kolitwenzew) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Baez-Sanchez v. Kolitwenzew, 360 F. Supp. 3d 808 (C.D. Ill. 2018).

Opinion

Sara Darrow, United States District Judge

Now before the Court is Petitioner Jorge Baez-Sanchez's ("Petitioner" or "Baez-Sanchez") Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 (Doc. 1).1 He is currently detained in the Jerome *810Combs Detention Center under the authority of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ("DHS"). Baez-Sanchez has been detained by DHS for over four years without an individualized bond hearing and alleges his continued detention violates the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. He seeks a writ ordering his immediate release or alternatively ordering an individualized bond hearing in which DHS bears the burden of showing his continued detention is justified. For the reasons set forth below, the Petition is GRANTED and the Court orders that Petitioner be granted an individualized bond hearing.

BACKGROUND 2

Baez-Sanchez is a native and citizen of Mexico. He entered the United States without being admitted or paroled. On September 24, 2014, Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE"), an agency within DHS, administratively arrested Baez-Sanchez. He was placed into removal proceedings before the Chicago Immigration Court and charged with removability from the United States under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(6)(A)(i), for arriving in the United States without being admitted or paroled, and under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(2)(A)(i)(II), due to his criminal record in the United States. Because he was charged as removable under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(2)(A)(i), he was subject to mandatory detention pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1226(c) during the pendency of his removal proceedings.

On December 1, 2014, Baez-Sanchez appeared before the immigration judge ("IJ") and admitted to the allegations charged. However, he sought various forms of immigration relief, including a U visa and a corresponding waiver of inadmissibility under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(d)(3). See Pet. at 3-4 (Doc. 1). A U visa is a type of immigration relief that may be granted if the petitioner proves he suffered "substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of having been a victim of" certain qualifying criminal activity that occurred in the United States, and proves that he has cooperated with law enforcement or other authorities in investing or prosecuting the criminal activity. 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)(U). A U-visa petitioner must also prove he is admissible to the United States or be granted a waiver of inadmissibility under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(d)(3). Subject to certain limitations, this waiver may be granted if it is in "the public or national security interest to do so." 8 U.S.C. § 1182(d)(14) ; 8 C.F.R. § 212.17(a). In the Seventh Circuit, a waiver of inadmissibility can be granted by the immigration judge. See Baez-Sanchez v. Sessions , 872 F.3d 854 (7th Cir. 2017) ; L.D.G. v. Holder , 744 F.3d 1022, 1024 (7th Cir. 2014). However, "[t]he decision whether to grant a U Visa is statutorily committed to the discretion of the Secretary of Homeland Security ... and is exercised through USCIS, an office within [DHS]." L.D.G. , 744 F.3d at 1024, citing 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)(U).

While Baez-Sanchez filed his U-visa petition with USCIS, he also filed a petition to waive his inadmissibility (Form I-192) with the IJ. After hearings, the IJ entered a written decision denying Baez-Sanchez's other applications for relief, but granting Baez-Sanchez's waiver of inadmissibility on June 24, 2015. Pet. Ex. C, Decision of IJ (Doc. 1-1). The written decision also ordered Baez-Sanchez removed to Mexico.

Since this initial decision of the IJ, there has been numerous appeals and remands complicating the case and calling into question whether the order of removal has become and/or remained final. The IJ's *811initial decision was not appealed, but DHS filed a motion to reconsider the IJ's order granting Baez-Sanchez's inadmissibility waiver. On August 18, 2015, the IJ denied DHS's motion. Pet. Ex. C, Aug. 18, 2015 IJ Decision (Doc. 1-1). DHS appealed the denial to the Board of Immigration Appeals ("BIA"). On February 23, 2016, the BIA sustained DHS's appeal and remanded the case to the IJ to assess the waiver of inadmissibility under a heightened standard. The IJ issued a second written decision on April 28, 2016, using the heighted standard and again granting the waiver of inadmissibility. DHS again appealed the decision to the BIA.

While the second BIA appeal was pending, the BIA decided Matter of Khan , 26 I. & N. Dec. 797 (BIA 2016). Matter of Khan

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Bluebook (online)
360 F. Supp. 3d 808, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/baez-sanchez-v-kolitwenzew-ilcd-2018.