Jian Lu and Haiqiong Tang v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, et al.

CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedSeptember 30, 2025
Docket2:25-cv-01581
StatusUnknown

This text of Jian Lu and Haiqiong Tang v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, et al. (Jian Lu and Haiqiong Tang v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, et al.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jian Lu and Haiqiong Tang v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, et al., (D. Nev. 2025).

Opinion

1 2 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEVADA 3 4 Jian Lu and Haiqiong Tang, Case No. 2:25-cv-01581-CDS-BNW

5 Petitioners Order Granting Respondents’ Motion to Dismiss, Denying as Moot Petitioners’ 6 v. Emergency Motions, Motion for Hearing and Motion for Summary Judgment, and 7 United States Citizenship and Immigration Denying Motion to Stay Services, et al., 8 [ECF Nos. 9, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 21] Respondents 9 10 Pro se petitioners Jian Lu and Haiqiong Tang (collectively, “petitioners”) brought this 11 action seeking mandamus relief1 against respondents United States Citizenship and 12 Immigration Services (USCIS), Ur Mendoza Jaddou, the director of USCIS, Alejandro 13 Mayorkas, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and Jessica Leigh, USCIS’s 14 director of parole operations (hereinafter, “respondents”). Pet., ECF No. 1.2 Respondents 15 accepted service of the petition on August 27, 2025. Executed summons, ECF No. 7. An amended 16 petition was filed on August 27, 2025. Am. pet., ECF No. 6. 17 Petitioners filed two separate emergency motions on September 4 and 11, 2025, 18 respectively. Mots., ECF Nos. 9, 12. On September 18, 2025, the respondents filed a motion to 19 dismiss. Mot. to dismiss, ECF No. 13. Petitioners oppose the motion. Opp’n, ECF No. 16. This 20 motion is now fully briefed. Reply, ECF No. 26. Petitioners also filed a motion for a hearing, and 21 a motion for summary judgment. Mot. for hr’g, ECF No. 17; Mot. for summ. j., ECF No. 18. 22 Respondents have filed a motion to stay. Mot. to stay, ECF No. 19. Last, the petitioners filed an 23 24

25 1 Although filed as a complaint, I liberally construe petitioner’s filings as petitions for mandamus relief. Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94 (2007) (“A document filed pro se is to be liberally construed . . . .”). 26 2 I note that the complaint violates the local rules because the exhibits are attached to the complaint, not filed separately as required by Local Rule IC 2-2(3)(A) (requiring exhibits and attachments to be filed as separate attachments). 1 amended motion for relief. Am. mot., ECF No. 21. For the reasons set forth herein, the motion to 2 dismiss is granted and the remaining motions are denied as moot.3 3 I. Background 4 Petitioners allege that the respondents have a “non-discretionary duty to adjudicate 5 [their Forms] I-1304 and I-1315 in a timely manner,” and the respondents’ failure to do so has 6 resulted in injuries to them and X.C., who was “abandoned in China without appropriate 7 guardianship.” See ECF No. 1 at 1–5.6 They ask this court to issue a writ of mandamus compelling 8 the respondents to adjudicate their Forms I-130 and I-131, as well as monetary damages, 9 attorney’s fees and costs, and other related relief. Id. at 5. 10 II. Discussion 11 “Mandamus is an extraordinary remedy and is available to compel a federal official to 12 perform a duty only if: (1) the individual’s claim is clear and certain; (2) the official’s duty is 13 nondiscretionary, ministerial, and so plainly prescribed as to be free from doubt; and (3) there is 14 no other “adequate remedy” to address the claim. Patel v. Reno, 134 F.3d 929, 931 (9th Cir. 1997). 15 Respondents argue that this petition for mandamus relief should be dismissed because this 16 court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the petitioners failed to administratively exhaust their 17 remedies for bringing this action, and because petitioners fail to state a claim upon which relief 18

3 Because the respondents’ motion to dismiss is granted, the pending motions can be resolved without 19 any further opposition or reply. 20 4 Form I-130 is a “Petition for Alien Relative” that allows U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents (LPRs) to establish a qualifying family relationship with a foreign relative who wishes to immigrate to 21 the United States. See Petition for Alien Relative, https://www.uscis.gov/i-130 (last visited September 26, 2025). The agency must approve the petition if the applicant’s familial relationship is verified. See 8 U.S.C. 22 §§ 1154(b), 1201, 1202; 8 C.F.R. §§ 204.1(a), 204.2(d)(2)-(3). If approved, the agency forwards a copy of the petition to the National Visa Center for “preprocessing.” See Bureau of Consular Affairs, Dep’t of State, 23 Immigrant Visa Process, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant- visa-process/step-1-submit-a-petition.html (last visited Sep. 26, 2025). 24 5 Form I-131 is an application for travel documents, primarily used by U.S. citizens and LPRs, to apply for re-entry permits, advance parole, or other travel documentation to ensure they can leave the U.S. and 25 return without jeopardizing their immigration status. See Application for Travel Documents, https://www.uscis.gov/i-131 (last visited on September 26, 2025). 26 6 Citation to the first amended complaint (FAC) is to provide background information and does not serve as a finding of fact. 1 can be granted. Petitioners filed an opposition, but it lacks points and authorities. See ECF No. 2 16. Although that alone is grounds to grant the respondents’ motion,7 given petitioners pro se 3 status, I nonetheless resolve the motion to dismiss on the merits. 4 A. Respondents’ motion to dismiss is granted for failing to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. 5 6 Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) permits a party to move to dismiss based on the 7 court’s lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1). Here, the petitioners have the 8 burden of establishing that the court has subject matter jurisdiction. Ass’n of Am. Med. Colleges v. 9 United States, 217 F.3d 770, 778–79 (9th Cir. 2000). A facial attack to the court’s jurisdiction under 10 Rule 12(b)(1) tracks “a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6).” Leite v. Crane Co., 749 F.3d 1117, 11 1121 (9th Cir. 2014). So, in “determin[ing] whether the [plaintiff’s] allegations are sufficient as a 12 legal matter to invoke the court’s jurisdiction,” the court “[a]ccept[s] the [petitioners] 13 allegations as true and draw[s] all reasonable inferences in the [petitioners] favor.” Id. The 14 respondents argue that this court lacks subject matter jurisdiction because the Administrative 15 Procedures Act (APA) alone does not create nor confer a basis for federal jurisdiction, and 16 because the respondents’ actions are not unreasonably delayed and are fully discretionary. ECF 17 No. 13 at 5. 18 Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) permits a party to raise by motion the defense 19 that the complaint “fail[s] to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 20 12(b)(6). Dismissal is appropriate under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) where a pleader fails to state a 21

22 7 See Local Rule 7-2(d). Petitioners are advised that their pro se status does not mean they can disregard the rules of the court. In fact, all litigants, including those appearing pro se, must comply with the 23 Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

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Jian Lu and Haiqiong Tang v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, et al., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jian-lu-and-haiqiong-tang-v-united-states-citizenship-and-immigration-nvd-2025.