Gonzales v. U.S. Deptartment of Homeland Security

239 F.R.D. 620, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 82502, 2006 WL 3289769
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Washington
DecidedNovember 13, 2006
DocketNo. C06-1411P
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 239 F.R.D. 620 (Gonzales v. U.S. Deptartment of Homeland Security) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gonzales v. U.S. Deptartment of Homeland Security, 239 F.R.D. 620, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 82502, 2006 WL 3289769 (W.D. Wash. 2006).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION AND CLASS CERTIFICATION

PECHMAN, District Judge.

INTRODUCTION

This matter comes before the Court on Plaintiffs’ Motions for a Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction (Dkt. No. 2-1) and for Class Certification (Dkt. No. 3). On October 11, 2006, after a hearing, the Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order enjoining the Defendants from applying or enforcing the policy that is at issue here. (Dkt. No. 22). The Court ordered the Defendants to show cause why the injunction should not be extended for the remainder of this action. The parties have filed additional briefs, and on October 6, 2006, a hearing was held on the order to show cause and the question of class certification. Having reviewed the parties’ briefs and all pertinent documents and exhibits, the Court GRANTS a preliminary injunction and CERTIFIES the class in this matter.

FINDINGS OF FACT

The Court finds that Plaintiffs are aliens who have filed 1-212 waiver applications within the jurisdiction of the Ninth Circuit in conjunction with their applications for adjustment of status under the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”) § 245(i), 8 U.S.C. § 1255(i), prior to any final reinstatement determination under INA § 241(a)(5), 8 U.S.C. § 1231(a)(5). Plaintiffs are inadmissible under INA § 212(a)(9)(C)(i)(II) because they have been previously ordered removed and have entered or attempted to reenter without being admitted. Plaintiffs’ 1-212 applications have been or will be denied by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) pursuant to Defendants’ policy of denying 1-212 applications where the applicant is inadmissible under INA § 212(a)(9)(C)(i) and ten years have not elapsed since the date of the applicant’s last departure from the United States.

Defendant Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) is an executive agency of the United States. The Secretary of DHS is charged with the administration and enforcement of the INA and all other laws relating to the immigration and naturalization of aliens. USCIS is a bureau of DHS and is responsible for adjudicating immigration and naturalization applications and establishing immigration services policies. Defendant Michael Chertoff is the Secretary of DHS. Plaintiffs are suing Mr. Chertoff in his official capacity.

On August 13, 2004, the Ninth Circuit issued Perez-Gonzalez v. Ashcroft, 379 F.3d 783 (9th Cir.2004). On March 31, 2006, US-CIS issued an internal policy guidance entitled “Effect of Perez-Gonzalez v. Ashcroft on adjudication of Form 1-212 applications filed by aliens who are subject to reinstated removal orders under INA § 241(a)(5)” (“Perez-Gonzalez Memo”).1 In Part 3(A) of the Perez-Gonzalez Memo, Defendants issued the following directive:

Aliens Seeking Consent to Reapply Prior to Expiration of Required 10-Year Period
... [A]n alien inadmissible under section 212(a)(9)(C) of the Act cannot even file for consent to reapply for admission to the United States until he or she has been abroad for at least 10 years.
[623]*623Therefore, in any case where an alien is inadmissible under section 212(a)(9)(C)(i) of the INA and 10 years have not elapsed since the date of the alien’s last departure from the United States, USCIS should deny any Form 1-212 requesting consent to reapply for admission.

The Court finds that Defendants have applied this policy to the applications of named Plaintiffs Estrada, Banuelos, and Andrade. Defendants denied each of these plaintiffs’ I-212 applications on the grounds that these individuals did not qualify for consent to reapply because they are inadmissable under INA § 212(a)(9)(C)(i) and less than ten years have passed since their last departure from the United States.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

Plaintiffs request class certification and a preliminary injunction enjoining the Government from applying the policy enumerated in the Perez-Gonzalez Memo to any member of the class during the remainder of this action. Plaintiffs allege that the Memo conflicts with Perez-Gonzalez and is unlawful. The Government contends that its policy does not conflict with Perez-Gonzalez, and alternatively, that Perez-Gonzalez was wrongly decided and does not control here. Defendants also contend that the Court does not have jurisdiction and that Plaintiffs should be required to exhaust their administrative remedies.

A. Jurisdiction

The Court has federal question jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331. Defendants argue that INA § 242(f), 8 U.S.C. § 1252®, deprives the Court of jurisdiction. But that subsection does not limit or remove the Court’s jurisdiction in this matter. INA § 242® provides as follows:

Regardless of the nature of the action or claim or of the identity of the party or parties bringing the action, no court (other than the Supreme Court) shall have jurisdiction or authority to enjoin or restrain the operation of the provisions of part IV of this subchapter ... other than with respect to the application of such provisions to an individual alien against whom proceedings under such part have been initiated.

Plaintiffs seek injunctive relief to preserve the status quo with respect to applications for adjustment of status, which are governed by part V of the INA (INA § 245(i), 8 U.S.C. 1255(i)), and 1-212 waiver applications, which relate to part II of the INA (INA § 212, 8 U.S.C. 1182). Plaintiffs do not seek to directly “enjoin or restrain the operation of the provisions of part IV” of the INA.2 Moreover, Plaintiffs are not seeking to enjoin the lawful application of the INA, but are seeking to enjoin violations of the Act. As the Ninth Circuit explained in Ali v. Ashcroft, INA § 242(f)(1) is inapplicable where petitioners “seek not to enjoin the operation of [the INA] but violations of the statute and to ensure that the provision is properly implemented.” Ali v. Ashcroft, 346 F.3d 873, 886 (9th Cir.2003), rev’d on other grounds, Ali v. Gonzales, 421 F.3d 795 (9th Cir.2005) (internal quotation marks omitted).

B. Exhaustion

Defendants also argue that Plaintiffs have not exhausted their administrative remedies. But Plaintiffs are not required to exhaust their administrative remedies because INA § 212(a) and 8 C.F.R. § 212.2 do not require an administrative appeal.

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239 F.R.D. 620, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 82502, 2006 WL 3289769, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gonzales-v-us-deptartment-of-homeland-security-wawd-2006.