CHAIREZ

26 I. & N. Dec. 349
CourtBoard of Immigration Appeals
DecidedJuly 1, 2014
DocketID 3807
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 26 I. & N. Dec. 349 (CHAIREZ) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Board of Immigration Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
CHAIREZ, 26 I. & N. Dec. 349 (bia 2014).

Opinion

Cite as 26 I&N Dec. 349 (BIA 2014) Interim Decision #3807

Matter of Martin CHAIREZ-Castrejon, Respondent Decided July 24, 2014 U.S. Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review Board of Immigration Appeals

(1) The categorical approach, which requires a focus on the minimum conduct that has a realistic probability of being prosecuted under the statute of conviction, is employed to determine whether the respondent’s conviction for felony discharge of a firearm under section 76-10-508.1 of the Utah Code is for a crime of violence aggravated felony or a firearms offense under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Moncrieffe v. Holder, 133 S. Ct. 1678 (2013), followed. (2) The Department of Homeland Security did not meet its burden of establishing the respondent’s removability as an alien convicted of an aggravated felony where it did not show that section 76-10-508.1 of the Utah Code was divisible with respect to the mens rea necessary to constitute a crime of violence. Descamps v. United States, 133 S. Ct. 2276 (2013), followed. Matter of Lanferman, 25 I&N Dec. 721 (BIA 2012), withdrawn.

(3) Where the respondent did not demonstrate that he or anyone else was successfully prosecuted for discharging an “antique firearm” under section 76-10-508.1 of the Utah Code, which contains no exception for “antique firearms” as defined by 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(16) (2012), the statute was not shown to be categorically overbroad relative to section 237(a)(2)(C) of the Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(C) (2012). Matter of Mendez-Orellana, 25 I&N Dec. 254 (BIA 2010), clarified. FOR RESPONDENT: Skyler Anderson, Esquire, Taylorsville, Utah FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Donald W. Cassidy, Associate Legal Advisor BEFORE: Board Panel: PAULEY, MALPHRUS, and GREER, Board Members. PAULEY, Board Member:

In a decision dated September 18, 2013, an Immigration Judge ordered the respondent removed from the United States. The respondent has appealed from that decision. The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) opposes the appeal. The appeal will be dismissed in part and sustained in part, and the record will be remanded to the Immigration Judge.

349 Cite as 26 I&N Dec. 349 (BIA 2014) Interim Decision #3807

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY The respondent is a native and citizen of Mexico and a lawful permanent resident of the United States. He was convicted on December 3, 2012, of felony discharge of a firearm in violation of section 76-10-508.1 of the Utah Code, for which he was sentenced to an indeterminate term of imprisonment not to exceed 5 years. Based on that conviction, the Immigration Judge found him removable as an alien convicted of (1) a “crime of violence” aggravated felony under sections 101(a)(43)(F) and 237(a)(2)(A)(iii) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. §§ 1101(a)(43)(F) and 1227(a)(2)(A)(iii) (2012); and (2) a firearms offense under section 237(a)(2)(C) of the Act. The respondent argues that his crime is neither an aggravated felony nor a firearms offense for purposes of determining his removability. We review these legal issues de novo. 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(d)(3)(ii) (2013). After the parties completed their initial appellate briefing, we solicited supplemental briefs from the parties and on May 14, 2014, we held oral argument to address several specific issues, including whether, or to what extent, the approach to statutory “divisibility” in Descamps v. United States, 133 S. Ct. 2276 (2013), applies in these removal proceedings.1

II. ANALYSIS A. Aggravated Felony

As used in section 237(a)(2)(A)(iii) of the Act, the term “aggravated felony” is defined to include “a crime of violence (as defined in section 16 of title 18, United States Code, but not including a purely political offense) for which the term of imprisonment [is] at least one year.” Section 101(a)(43)(F) of the Act. In turn, 18 U.S.C. § 16 (2012) defines a “crime of violence” as

(a) an offense that has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person or property of another, or (b) any other offense that is a felony and that, by its nature, involves a substantial risk that physical force against the person or property of another may be used in the course of committing the offense.

For purposes of the “crime of violence” definition, the word “use” denotes volition. See Leocal v. Ashcroft, 543 U.S. 1, 9 (2004). The phrase

1 We wish to express our gratitude to the parties for their helpful supplemental briefs.

350 Cite as 26 I&N Dec. 349 (BIA 2014) Interim Decision #3807

“physical force” denotes violent, active force capable of causing pain or injury to another person. See Matter of Velasquez, 25 I&N Dec. 278, 281–82 (BIA 2010) (relying on Johnson v. United States, 559 U.S. 133, 140 (2010)). To determine whether the respondent’s offense qualifies as an aggravated felony, we employ the “categorical approach,” which requires us to focus on the minimum conduct that has a realistic probability of being prosecuted under section 76-10-508.1 of the Utah Code, rather than on the facts underlying the respondent’s particular violation of that statute. See Moncrieffe v. Holder, 133 S. Ct. 1678, 1684–85 (2013). At all relevant times, section 76-10-508.1 has provided as follows, in pertinent part:

Felony discharge of a firearm—Penalties

(1) Except as [otherwise] provided . . . , a person who discharges a firearm is guilty of a third degree felony punishable by imprisonment for a term of not less than three years nor more than five years if: (a) the actor discharges a firearm in the direction of any person or persons, knowing or having reason to believe that any person may be endangered by the discharge of the firearm; (b) the actor, with intent to intimidate or harass another or with intent to damage a habitable structure . . . , discharges a firearm in the direction of any person or habitable structure; or (c) the actor, with intent to intimidate or harass another, discharges a firearm in the direction of any vehicle.

We conclude that sections 76-10-508.1(1)(b) and (c) of the Utah Code have as an element the deliberate “use” of violent “physical force” against the person or property of another, thereby qualifying them as categorical crimes of violence under 18 U.S.C. § 16(a). See Leocal v. Ashcroft, 543 U.S. at 9; Matter of Velasquez, 25 I&N Dec. at 281–82. Specifically, sections 76-10-508.1(1)(b) and (c) require the intentional discharge of a firearm, since they both provide that the firearm must be discharged for a particular purpose—that is, to intimidate another, to harass another, or to damage a habitable structure. Cf. Dean v.

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