Navarro-Aispura v. Immigration & Naturalization Service

842 F. Supp. 392, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20044, 1993 WL 563225
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedDecember 6, 1993
DocketNo. C-93-1630-DLJ
StatusPublished

This text of 842 F. Supp. 392 (Navarro-Aispura v. Immigration & Naturalization Service) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Navarro-Aispura v. Immigration & Naturalization Service, 842 F. Supp. 392, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20044, 1993 WL 563225 (N.D. Cal. 1993).

Opinion

ORDER

JENSEN, District Judge.

Petitioner seeks habeas corpus review of a Board of Immigration Appeals’ [“BIA”] order of exclusion. On November 24, 1993, the Court heard respondent’s motion for summary judgment. Alberto E. Gonzalez, Special Assistant Urnted States Attorney, appeared on behalf of respondent. Jonathan Scop appeared on behalf of petitioner. Having considered the papers submitted, the applicable law, the arguments of counsel, and the entire record herein, the Court DENIES respondent’s motion for summary judgment and GRANTS petitioner’s request for writ of habeas corpus for the following reasons.

I. BACKGROUND

Petitioner is a fifty-five year old native and citizen of Mexico who first entered the Urnted States without inspection in 1957. Petitioner has made numerous trips to and from Mexico since Ms first entry, and has reentered the Urnted States each time without inspection. Petitioner has resided in the Urnted States continuously since 1971.

Petitioner works as a baker, and has been a member of the local bakery and confectionery umon since 1971. He is currently employed full-time as a baker for Safeway Stores in Sunnyvale, CA, and has also worked for Adeline Bake Shop of San Francisco and Golden Crescent Bakery m Palo Alto.

On March 7, 1985, petitioner was apprehended by the INS while he was at work at the Pisano French Baking Company in Redwood City. Petitioner accepted admimstrative voluntary return to Mexico without a hearing, and was returned to Mexico the same day. At that time petitioner was living in San Francisco with Ms brother. Petitioner did not intend to abandon his residence or job in the Urnted States, but rnstead planned to return in two weeks after visiting family in Mexico.

Petitioner contracted tuberculosis in Mexico, and was unable to return to San Francisco as planned. Petitioner reentered the Urnted States without inspection nineteen months later, in October 1986. Petitioner returned to Ms former residence in San Francisco and resumed work with Adeline Bake Shop.

On March 11,1988 petitioner submitted an application for “registry,” with INS pursuant to INA § 249 (8 U.S.C. § 1259).1 Petitioner [394]*394submitted his application without the assistance of counsel.

Over two years later petitioner’s application for registry was still pending. Petitioner needed to return to Mexico briefly to assist his mother in property transactions. Although he had made numerous trips to and from Mexico previously without inspection, petitioner contacted the INS before leaving so that he could make the journey under lawful procedures.

On July 2, 1990 the INS district director granted petitioner advance parole2 and issued him a Form 1-512. The Form 1-512 given petitioner contained the following statement in the “Remarks” section:

If your application for Adjustment of Status is denied, you will be subject to exclusion proceedings, under Section 286 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Individual is to be paroled into the United States for an indefinite period of time providing prima facie eligibility for adjustment of status continues.

(emphasis added)

Petitioner accepted the grant of advance parole without guidance of counsel, and without advisement by INS officials about exclusion, deportation, or the consequences of accepting advance parole.

Petitioner spent two months in Mexico, and was paroled into the United States in September, 1990. On August 9, 1991, the district director denied petitioner’s application for registry due to his nineteen month absence from the country in 1985-1986. Petitioner’s parole was subsequently revoked and the INS commenced exclusion proceedings against him, rather than deportation proceedings, which normally follow an administrative denial of registry.3

In the exclusion proceeding, petitioner admitted that he was an intending immigrant not in possession of a valid immigrant visa. However, petitioner challenged the nature of the proceedings. The IJ found that petitioner was properly in exclusion proceedings and charged him with excludability under INA § 212(a)(7)(A)(i)(I).

The IJ also found that petitioner was in exclusion rather than in deportation proceedings only because he had previously been issued advance parole. The IJ allowed petitioner to renew his application for registry in the exclusion hearing, and granted petitioner registry.

The INS appealed the IJ’s authority to grant registry in an exclusion proceeding. On March 80, 1993 the BIA reversed, ordering petitioner excluded and deported. Petitioner filed this petition for writ of habeas corpus on May 3, 1993. On August 13, 1993 respondent moved for summary judgment.

It DISCUSSION

A. Jurisdiction

Petitioner filed this petition for habeas corpus review of his exclusion order within the time specified by statute. 8 U.S.C. § 1105a(a)(l). Petitioner has exhausted his administrative remedies, and jurisdiction is proper under 8 U.S.C. § 1105a(c).

B. Standard Of Review

Factual findings underlying a BIA decision are reviewed under the substantial evidence standard. I.N.S. v. Elias Zacarias, -U.S.-,-, 112 S.Ct. 812, 815, 117 L.Ed.2d 38 (1992); Desir v. Ilchert, 840 F.2d 723, 726 (9th Cir.1988). Respondent argues that the substantial evidence standard should apply in this instance.

The parties raise no contested issues of fact. Petitioner’s claim is based on statutory interpretation and application. “Where [395]*395... the agency determinations turn on purely legal questions concerning the requirements of the applicable statutes, ‘[t]he questions ... are questions of law, which we review de novo.’ ” Desir, 840 F.2d 723, 726 (quoting Lazo-Majano v. INS, 813 F.2d 1432, 1434 (9th Cir.1987)). Petitioner therefore correctly requests de novo review. Id. Strong deference is provided, however, to an agency’s interpretation of a statute. Chevron U.S.A Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837, 843-44,104 S.Ct. 2778, 2781-83, 81 L.Ed.2d 694 (1984).

C. Summary Judgment

Because there is no issue of material fact presented, the Court on summary judgment may make a determination of the legal issues presented. See Edwards v. Aguillard, 482 U.S. 578, 107 S.Ct. 2573, 96 L.Ed.2d 510 (1987) (interpretation of statute made on motion for summary judgment).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
842 F. Supp. 392, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20044, 1993 WL 563225, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/navarro-aispura-v-immigration-naturalization-service-cand-1993.