Luc Adras v. Alan C. Nelson, Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization Service

917 F.2d 1552, 1990 U.S. App. LEXIS 20769, 1990 WL 175284
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
DecidedNovember 30, 1990
Docket89-5481
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 917 F.2d 1552 (Luc Adras v. Alan C. Nelson, Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization Service) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Luc Adras v. Alan C. Nelson, Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization Service, 917 F.2d 1552, 1990 U.S. App. LEXIS 20769, 1990 WL 175284 (11th Cir. 1990).

Opinion

WESLEY E. BROWN, Senior District Judge.

In this action, black Haitian refugees filed claims for damages arising from their alleged unlawful detention at, and the treatment they received in, the Krome Detention Center in southern Florida during 1981-1982. 1 The defendants here are the officials of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) responsible for their detention. Damages were claimed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C.A. §§ 1346, etc., the civil rights provision of 42 U.S.C.A. §§ 1981,1985(3) and 1986, and the authority of Bivens v. Six Unknown Fed. Narcotics Agents, 403 U.S. 388, 91 S.Ct. 1999, 29 L.Ed.2d 619 (1971). Claims were also made under the “alien tort claims” provisions of 28 U.S.C.A. § 1350, and certain sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C.A. §§ 1182(d) and 1329. Pendent claims were also made under state constitutional and tort law. 2

The district court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss this case upon a finding that all claims were barred by doctrines of absolute immunity, qualified immunity, and for failure to state a claim, and lack of pendent jurisdiction. We affirm the order of the district court dismissing this action.

As we add another chapter to the saga of the Haitian nationals, we must once again review the history of the prior litigation.

The plaintiffs here were the plaintiffs in earlier litigation in which they sought writs of habeas corpus as well as injunctive and declaratory relief because of their alleged unlawful detention by INS agents who discriminated against them on the basis of national origin and race. In June, 1982, the District Court for the Southern District *1554 of Florida found that the INS had failed to promulgate the policy under which the Haitians were detained in accordance with the notice and comment procedures of the Administrative Procedure Act, thereby rendering the policy void and unenforceable. At the same time, the court further found that plaintiffs had failed to prove that they were incarcerated because of their race or national origin. Louis v. Nelson, 544 F.Supp. 973 (S.D.Fla.1982). As a result of this decision, the court found that the Haitian nationals were entitled to release on parole pending a determination of their claims for admission to the United States and over 1,000 aliens were released. Louis v. Nelson, 544 F.Supp. 1004 (S.D.Fla.1982).

Pending the appeal of this decision, the INS issued a new parole policy which complied with the district court’s order and with the notice and comment provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act.

Meanwhile, in the appeal to the Eleventh Circuit, this court reversed the finding that there had been no constitutional violation. A panel of the appellate court held that the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection clause applied to unadmitted aliens. Jean v. Nelson, 711 F.2d 1455 (11th Cir.1983) (Jean I). A rehearing en banc followed in the Eleventh Circuit, and the panel decision was vacated. En banc, this circuit determined that the APA procedural issue was moot because no class members remained in detention, but it was further held that the Fifth Amendment did not apply to unadmitted aliens seeking parole. Jean v. Nelson, 727 F.2d 957 (11th Cir.1984) (Jean II). The court did remand the case to the district court to develop a factual record on the question of whether or not restrictions on access to the Haitian detainees violated the First Amendment. 3 The conclusions of the court at that time were summarized in this manner:

Excludable aliens cannot challenge the decisions of executive officials with regard to their applications for admission, asylum, or parole on the basis of the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution. They do have rights, however, to whatever process Congress — and through its regulations and established policies, the Executive Branch — have extended them. Our holding therefore recognizes that while the courts must give proper deference to the plenary power of the political branches to regulate the admission of aliens into our country, the foreigner who comes to our shores with hopes of gaining entry does not stand altogether outside the protection of our laws.

727 F.2d at 984.

The Supreme Court affirmed the en banc judgment but explained that the Eleventh Circuit should not have reached the merits of the constitutional question. The court found that since it was conceded that the statute granting parole authority to the Attorney General, 8 U.S.C. § 1182(d)(5)(A) did not include race or national origin as factors relevant to parole determination, the INS was prohibited from considering those factors. The Supreme Court therefore affirmed the en banc judgment to the extent that it remanded the case to the district court for a determination of whether or not the INS agents observed the rules. Jean v. Nelson, 472 U.S. 846, 105 S.Ct. 2992, 86 L.Ed.2d 664 (1985) (Jean III). See also discussion, Jean v. Nelson, 863 F.2d 759, 764 (11th Cir.1988) (Jean IV), aff'd Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Marie Lucie Jean et al., — U.S. -, 110 S.Ct. 2316, 110 L.Ed.2d 134 (1990). In so doing, the court limited the remand in this manner:

Accordingly, we affirm the en banc court’s judgment insofar as it remanded to the District Court for a determination whether the INS officials are observing this limit upon their broad statutory discretion to deny parole to class members in detention. On remand the District Court must consider: (1) whether INS officials exercised their discretion under § 1182(d)(5)(A) to make individualized determinations of parole, and (2) whether *1555 INS officials exercised this broad discretion under the statutes and regulations without regard to race or national origin.

472 U.S. at 857, 105 S.Ct. at 2998, 86 L.Ed.2d at 672.

The Haitian refugees moved for an award of attorney fees and costs under the provisions of the Equal Access to Justice Act after the conclusion of their underlying litigation. The district court thereafter awarded substantial fees to various attorneys and law firms and to the Haitian Refugee Center. On appeal, this circuit held that the plaintiff Haitians were “prevailing parties” in the litigation since the government had conceded that its exclusion orders were invalid, the initial regulations were declared invalid, and plaintiffs had secured their release. The case was remanded, however, to the district court for recalculation of the fee awards. Jean v. Nelson, 863 F.2d 759, supra.

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Bluebook (online)
917 F.2d 1552, 1990 U.S. App. LEXIS 20769, 1990 WL 175284, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/luc-adras-v-alan-c-nelson-commissioner-of-immigration-and-naturalization-ca11-1990.