SANDOVAL

17 I. & N. Dec. 70
Board of Immigration Appeals·Decided July 1, 1979·No. ID 2725·Published·Cited by 10 cases

Opinion

MATTER OF SANDOVAL

In Deportation Proceedings

A-20824162

Decided by Board August 20, 1979

(1) Exclusionary rule is a "judicially created remedy designed to safeguard Fourth Amendment rights generally through its deterrent effect. United States v. Calandra , 414 U.S. 338, 348 (1974). (2) The United States Supreme Court has never applied the exclusionary rule to exclude evidence from purely civil proceedings. (3) The issue of whether the Fourth Amendment exclusionary rule should apply in deportation proceedings must be resolved upon a pragmatic analysis of the purposes underlying the rule, the efficacy of the rule as applied in deportation proceedings to serve its remedial objectives, the societal costs incurred by the exclusion of reliable and probative evidence from deportation proceedings, and the available alternatives to deter unlawful conduct by immigration officers. (4) If an immigration officer violates an individual's Fourth Amendment rights during an investigation, the evidence resulting from the violation will be excluded from any subsequent criminal prosecution. (5) The application of the exlusionary rule to deportation proceedings would not offer any significant additional disincentive to misconduct on the part of immigration officers. (6) The application of the exclusionary rule to deportation proceedings would result in societal costs, which could be avoided if the more direct and timely alternatives, which presently exist, were utilized to curb misconduct by immigration officers. (7) When the remote likelihood that the exclusion of evidence seized in violation of an individual's Fourth Amendment rights would significantly affect the conduct of immigration officers is balanced against the societal costs that could arise from such action and the alternatives available to compel respect for constitutional rights, neither legal nor policy considerations dictate the exclusion of such evidence from deportation proceedings. (8) Even assuming that the alien's admissions as reflected on the Form 1-213 ("Record of Deportable Alien") arose as a result of an unlawful search of her apartment, the Form 1-213 was admissible at the deportation proceeding and established her deportability by clear, convincing and unequivocal evidence. CHARGE:

Order Act of 1952 Sec. 241(a)(2) [8 U.S.C. 1251(a)(2))

— — Entry without inspection Lodged - Act of 1952 — See. 241(a)(2) U.S.G. 1251(a)(2)J — In the United States in violation of law having failed to establish the time, place and manner of entry as required under sec. 291, I&N Act 8 U.S.C. 1261)

ON BEHALF OF RESPONDENT: ON BEHALF OF SERVICE Charles S. Sims, Esquire George Indelicato Melvin L. Wulf, Esquire Appellate Trial Attorney American Civil Liberties Union Lloyd A. Sherman 22 Eclat 40th Street Trial Attorney New York, New York 10016 Attorneys of Record: Leon Rosen, Esquire 60 East 42nd Street New York, New York 10017 Rhoda K. Dryer, Esquire 17 Old Colony Drive Larchmont, New York 10538 BY: 7Ailhollan, Chairman; Maniatis and Maguire, Board Members. Concurring Opinion, Board Member Farb. Dissenting in Part and Concurring in Part Opinion, Board Member Appleman The respondent appeals from a decision of an immigration judge dated September 30, 1975, finding her deportable as charged and ordering her deportation to Mexico_ The appeal will be dismissed. We will, however, grant the respondent voluntary departure under section 244(e) of the Act, 8 U.S.C. 1254(e).

The respondent is a married 36-year-old native and citizen of Mexico . She entered the United States in March 1975. She and her husband crossed the border at night and were not inspected by immigration officers. The couple subsequently made their way to New Rochelle, New York On August 6, 1975, the respondent was taken into custody by immigration officers, who located her during a search of the building in which she resided. After being, taken to a Service office and advised of her rights, she made a statement admitting her alienage and unlawful entry. She also supplied information resulting in the preparation of a Form 1-213 ("Record of Deportable Alien").

On that same day, an Order to Show Cause was issued charging the resp ondent with being deportable under section 241(a)(2) of the Act, 8 U.S.C. 1251(a)(2), as one who entered the United States without inspection.

The deportation hearing was convened on August 22, 1975, and was conducted in several sessions, the last of which was on September 30, 1975. During these proceedings, an additional charge was lodged, alleging the respondent to also be deportable under section 241(a)(2) as one who was unlawfully in this country because she failed to establish the date, manner, and place of her entry as required under section 291 of the Act, 8 U.S.C. 1361.

By order dated September 30, 1975, the immigration judge found the resp ondent deportable as charged based on her statement of August 6,

Interim Decision 112725 1975, and on an admission made at the hearing that she was an alien followed by her refusal to answer subsequent questions regarding her entry.

Both below and on appeal, the respondent, through counsel, submits that her statement of August 6, 1975, and the resulting Form 1-213, should have been suppressed as the "fruit of the poisonous tree"—it being alleged that the search of her apartment (which resulted in her detention) was in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution. It is also submitted that the respondent 's admission of alienage before the immigration judge resulted from improper questioning subsequent to her invocation of her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and that the admission, therefore, should not have been considered. The respondent further states that the immigration judge's conduct of the hearing evidenced a lack of impartiality and a denial of the respondent 's Fifth Amendment due process right to a fair hearing. Finally, it is argued that the immigration judge improperly denied the respondent the privilege of voluntary departure after he refused to let her testify for the limited purpose of supporting her application for that relief.

As regards the evidence of deportability, we agree that the respondent 's admission at the hearing concerning her alienage was elicited from her after she was improperly denied her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. We will accordingly disregard the respondent's admission in this regard.' See Tashnizi v. INS, 585 F.2d 781 (5 Cir. 1978); Valeros v. INS, 387 F.2d 921 (7 Cir. 1967); Estes v. Potter, 183 F.2d 865 (5 Cir. 1950), cert. denied, 340 U.S. 920 (1951); Matter of R—, 4 I&N Dec. 720 (BIA 1952). See also section 275 of the Act, 8 U.S.C. 1325.

In view of this finding, the sole evidence of record regarding deportability is that which the respondent alleges resulted from an unlawful search of her dwelling and which she submits should have been excluded from the proceedings below.

' The record suggests that the immigration judge repeatedly questioned the respondent concerning her alienage and directed her to respond to his questioning because she had not personally and expressly invoked her Fifth Amendment privilege regarding that matter. See U.S ex ret Bilokumsky v. Tad, 263 US. 149 (1923); Laqui v. INS, 422 F.2d 807 (7 Cir. 1967); Chavez-Raya v. INS, 519 F.2d 297 (7 Cir. 1975). Considering the respondent 's statement that she did not "like to answer," counsel's explanation that she was in fact invoking the Fifth Amendment privilege, and the language barrier arising from a non-English speaking witness testifying through a translator, we are satisfied that the privilege had been invoked as to the question of alienage and that the subsequent directions to respondent to that question were improper. Cf. U.S. ex ret Vaj fewer v. Commissioner of Immigration, 273 U.S. 103,113' (1927) (regarding privilege being "fairly brought to the attention of the tribunal which must pass upon it").

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SANDOVAL, 17 I. & N. Dec. 70 (bia 1979).

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