Sandoval v. Colorado Division of Employment

757 P.2d 1105, 12 Brief Times Rptr. 692, 1988 Colo. App. LEXIS 216, 1988 WL 71282
CourtColorado Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 5, 1988
Docket87CA0319
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 757 P.2d 1105 (Sandoval v. Colorado Division of Employment) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Sandoval v. Colorado Division of Employment, 757 P.2d 1105, 12 Brief Times Rptr. 692, 1988 Colo. App. LEXIS 216, 1988 WL 71282 (Colo. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinions

PLANK, Judge.

Claimant, Martin Sandoval, seeks review of a final order of the Industrial Claim Appeals Office (Panel) holding that he was monetarily ineligible for benefits because [1106]*1106of his immigration status during the base period. We set aside the order.

As a child, claimant accompanied his parents into the United States without inspection. About four years later, in 1978, claimant’s parents, but not claimant, were issued work authorization permits by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

In early 1984, the INS initiated deportation proceedings against claimant, but claimant challenged that action pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1254 based on seven years continuous presence in the U.S., good moral character, and extreme hardship to the applicant or legally present family members.

On December 14, 1984, claimant married a U.S. citizen, and on March 7, 1985, his wife filed a petition in his behalf for immediate relative immigration status. The petition was granted on May 16, 1985. On February 20, 1986, claimant’s status was adjusted to lawful permanent resident.

Meanwhile, claimant was separated from his employment, and on April 29, 1986, applied for unemployment compensation benefits based on wages earned in the period from January 1, 1985, to December 31, 1985.

The Panel denied claimant's request for benefits on the grounds that at all times during his base period claimant failed to meet the criteria set forth in § 8-73-107(7)(a), C.R.S. (1986 Repl.Vol. 3B).

Claimant contends that the provisions of § 8 — 73—107(7)(a)(1) through (VI), C.R.S. (1986 RepLVol. 3B) are illustrative rather than exhaustive of the categories of aliens “permanently residing in the United States under color of law,” and that he fell within the definition at all times during his base period. We agree.

Section 8-73-107(7)(a), C.R.S. (1986 Repl. Vol. 3B) provides that:

“Benefits shall not be payable on the basis of services performed by an alien unless such alien is an individual who was lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time such services were performed, or was lawfully present for purposes of performing such services, or was permanently residing in the United States under color of law at the time such services were performed.”

Effective July 1,1985, before claimant filed his claim, the following provisions were added.

“For purposes of the ‘Colorado Employment Security Act’, ‘permanent resident under color of law’ shall mean:
(I) An alien admitted as a refugee under section 207 of the ‘Immigration and Nationality Act’, 8 U.S.C. § 1157, in effect after March 31, 1980;
(II) An alien granted asylum by the attorney general of the United States under section 208 of the ‘Immigration and Nationality Act’, 8 U.S.C. § 1158;
(III) An alien granted a parole into the United States for an indefinite period under section 212(d)(5)(B) of the ‘Immigration and Nationality Act’, 8 U.S.C. § 1182(d)(5)(B);
(IV) An alien granted the status as a conditional entrant refugee under section 203(a)(7) of the ‘Immigration and Nationality Act’, 8 U.S.C. § 1153(a)(7), in effect prior to March 31, 1980;
(V) An alien who entered the United States prior to June 30, 1948, and who is eligible for lawful permanent residence pursuant to section 249 of the ‘Immigration and Nationality Act’, 8 U.S.C. § 1259; or
(VI) An alien who has been formally granted deferred action or nonpriority status by the immigration and naturalization service.

Claimant falls within none of these provisions, and thus, if they represent a complete listing of all who qualify as being permanent residents under color of law, he is not eligible for any unemployment benefits.

In order to continue to receive federal incentives, each state’s unemployment insurance program must be in substantial conformity with the federal statutory requirements. Industrial Commission v. Arteaga, 735 P.2d 473 (Colo.1987). For example, 26 U.S.C. § 3304(a)(10) (1976) pro[1107]*1107vides that “compensation shall not be denied to any individual ... for any cause other than discharge for misconduct connected with his work_” The state statutory scheme in § 8-73-108(5)(e), C.R.S. (1986 Repl.Vol. 3B) enumerates specific examples of “misconduct connected with ... work,” but retains the federal statute’s broad meaning by means of the catchall provision of § 8-73-108(5)(e)(XX), “for other reasons including, but not limited to” the enumerated examples of misconduct.

However, the General Assembly did not include a “catchall” provision in § 8-73-107(7)(a)(I) through (VI), C.R.S. (1986 Repl.Vol. 3B). Therefore, the subsections can be considered exhaustive rather than illustrative only if the six enumerated categories substantially cover the categories contemplated by Congress in the phrase “permanently residing in the United States under color of law.” See 26 U.S.C. § 3304(a)(14)(A) (1976).

Congress has defined “permanently” for purposes of the Immigration and Nationality Act as a “relationship of continuing or lasting nature, as distinguished from temporary, but a relationship may be permanent even though it is one that may be dissolved eventually at the instance either of the United States, or of the individual, in accordance with law.” 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(31) (1976).

Congress, however, has not enacted a statutory definition of “color of law,” and thus, to determine the meaning of that phrase, we examine federal case law, especially case law closely contemporaneous with Congress’ enactment of the statute. See Industrial Commission v. Arteaga, supra.

Holley v. Lavine, 553 F.2d 845 (2d Cir.1977), cert. denied, 435 U.S. 947, 98 S.Ct. 1532, 55 L.Ed.2d 545 (1978), decided the year after 26 U.S.C. § 3304(a)(14)(A) (1976) was enacted, is the leading federal case defining the phrase. In Holley, the court defined “under color of law” as meaning:

“that which an official does by virtue of power, as well as what he does by virtue of right. The phrase encircles the law, its shadows, and its penumbra.

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757 P.2d 1105, 12 Brief Times Rptr. 692, 1988 Colo. App. LEXIS 216, 1988 WL 71282, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sandoval-v-colorado-division-of-employment-coloctapp-1988.