Hernandez Aguilar v. Decker

District Court, S.D. New York·Decided August 27, 2020·No. 1:20-cv-04172·Unknown

Opinion

[spc SDNY UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DOCUMENT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK FLECTRONICALLY FELAD □□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□ Oe MIGUEL HERNANDEZ AGUILAR, HeWaet THE LS Tain nw wana □ DATES TAUS 2.7-2008.. Petitioner, : oo

~against- MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER THOMAS DECKER, /n his official capacity as Director: TO of the New York Field Office of U.S. Immigrations & Customs Enforcement; CHAD WOLF, in his official : 20 Civ. 4172 (GBD) (GWG) capacity as Acting Secretary, U.S. Department of : Homeland Security, and WILLIAM BARR, in his official : capacity as Attorney General of the United States, : Respondents, : mene ee ee eee ee eee ee eee eee RP eK □□ □□ eR ee eee x GEORGE B, DANIELS, United States District Judge: Petitioner Miguel Hernandez Aguilar moves for a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order (“TRO”), requiring Respondents to either (1) release him, subject to appropriate supervision conditions, or (2) provide him with a constitutionally adequate bond hearing in light of his prolonged detention “in unsafe and punitive conditions and without any judicial custody review in violation of the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause.” (Pet’r’s Application for Order to □□□□ Cause and Prelim. Inj. and TRO, ECF No. 5, at 1.)! Alternatively, Petitioner seeks relief under Mapp v. Reno, 241 F.3d 221 (2d Cir. 2001), and asks this Court to “order his release on reasonable conditions of supervision.” (Mem. of Law in Supp. of Pet’r’s Application for Order to Show Cause

' Petitioner also seeks a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2241, challenging his prolonged detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), (See Verified Pet. for Writ of Habeas Corpus Under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 (“Pet.”), ECF No, 1.) In his Petition, Petitioner argues that Respondents violated his (1) substantive due process rights by failing to provide him with adequate protection from COVID-19, despite his heightened risk of contracting COVID-19 and suffering serious injury or death, and □□□ procedural due process rights under 8 U.S.C. § 1226 by detaining him at Orange County Jail “OCY’) in Goshen, New York since July 1, 2019 without a bond hearing. (/d. {J 66-84.)

(“Mot. for PI and TRO”), ECF No. 5, at 1.) Petitioner’s motion for a preliminary injunction is GRANTED. Within seven business days from the date of this Memorandum Decision and Order, Respondents shall provide an individualized bond hearing to Petitioner to determine whether his detention is justified, and within one business day thereafter shall advise this Court of the outcome of the bond hearing. I FACTUAL BACKGROUND A. Criminal and Immigration History. Petitioner is a 32-year-old man from Mexico who has lived in the United States since 2007. (Pet. § 18.) Since 2018, Petitioner has been arrested twice. (id { 19.) Specifically, on February 2018, Petitioner was arrested for, and later pleaded guilty to, attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, in violation of New York Penal Law (“NYPL”) §§ 110-220,16(1). Ud § 20.) He was sentenced to a five-year term of probation. (/d.) Subsequently, on June 20, 2019, while Petitioner was on probation, he was arrested and later arraigned on charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, in violation of NYPL § 220.16, and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, in violation of § 220.06. Ud. 921.) Shortly after Petitioner was released on bail, he appeared at his criminal court hearing on July 1, 2019. Ud 21-22.) That same day, ICE arrested Petitioner and placed him in custody in OCJ for purposes of placing him in removal proceedings, (/d. § 22; Decl. of Deportation Officer Kevin King, Jr. (“King Decl”), ECF No. 19, at 8.)° ICE served Petitioner with a Notice to Appear, which charged him as removable pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(6)(A)@) for being present in the United States without having been admitted or paroled, and referred him for removal proceedings at the Varick Street Immigration Court. (Pet. { 20; King Decl. { 8; Return to

2 On March 3, 2020, Petitioner pleaded guilty to NYPL §§ 110-220.16(1) and a violation of probation for his 2018 narcotics case. (Pet. 22 n.1.) He was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment. (King Decl. 7.)

Habeas Petition (“Return”), Ex. 2 (Notice to Appear), ECF No. 17-2.) ICE ultimately determined that Petitioner was subject to mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(c) pending removal preceedings. (King Decl. { 8; Pet. { 1.) On December 11, 2019, relying on Petitioner’s 2018 drug conviction, the Immigration Judge denied Petitioncr’s applications for relief from removal and ordered him removed to Mexico. (King Deel. 4 16; Return, Ex. 4 (Signed Oral Decision of Immigration Judge), ECF No. 17-4.) After a week, Petitioner filed a Notice of Appeal with the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”). (ing Decl. § 16.) On June 9, 2020, the BIA dismissed Petitioner’s appeal of the Immigration Judge’s decision, rendering his removal order administratively final. Ud { 20; Return, Ex. 8 (“Decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals”), ECF No. 17-8.) Accordingly, Respondents argue that Petitioner is now detained under 8 U.S.C, § l(a). (ding Decl. € 20.) Shortly thereafter, on June 17, 2020, Petitioner filed a Petition for Review (“PFR”) of his removal order with the Second Circuit and filed a motion for a stay of removal on June 23, 2020. See Hernandez-Aguilar v. Barr, No. 20-1851 (2d Cir.). By letter dated August 3, 2020, Petitioner informed this Court that on July 30, 2020, the Second Circuit issued a 90-day tolling order regarding his PFR so that Petitioner and Respondents can determine whether remand of the case to the BIA is warranted. (Pet’r’s Letter dated Aug. 3, 2020, ECF No. 31.) As to Petitioner’s detention, he remained in ICE custody from July 1, 2019 until he was turned over on a writ to the Westchester County Department of Public Safety on March 3, 2020. (King Decl. ] 9.) On that day, Petitioner pleaded guilty to NYPL §§ 110-220.16(1) for his 2019 narcotics case and a violation of probation for his 2018 narcotics case. (id. | 7; Pet. ¢22n.1.) He

was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment. (King Decl. 7.) On March 20, 2020, after serving his

sentence for his felony narcotics conviction, Petitioner was returned to ICE custody and transferred back to OCJ pending removal proceedings. Ud. J 9; Pet. | 22.) B. Medical and Living Conditions. Petitioner claims that he has a history of smoking’ and a BMI of 32.4, which renders him obese (though at the lowest end of the relevant range). (Pet. [f 42, 46.) Petitioner further asserts that these conditions place him “at elevated risk of serious illness or death if infected with COVID-19.” Ud § 42.) In support of his assertion, Petitioner has submitted, inter alia, a letter from

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