Innis v. INS

USCA1 Opinion









October 11, 1996 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT

_______________



No. 96-1314


EAN ANTHONY INNIS, a/k/a ANTHONY ROME,
a/k/a EAN ANTHONY INNIS,
Petitioner,

v.

IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE,
Respondent.

_____________________


ERRATA SHEET




The opinion of this Court issued on September 24, 1996 is
amended as follows:

On page 2, line 7, change "here" to "hear"



































October 4, 1996 [NOT FOR PUBLICATION]
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT
____________________


No. 96-1314

EAN ANTHONY INNIS, a/k/a ANTHONY ROME,
a/k/a EAN ANTHONY INNIS,

Petitioner,

v.

IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE,

Respondent.


____________________

ON PETITION FOR REVIEW OF AN ORDER

OF THE BOARD OF IMMIGRATION APPEALS



____________________

Before

Torruella, Chief Judge, ___________
Cyr and Stahl, Circuit Judges. ______________

____________________

Ean Anthony Innis on brief pro se. _________________
Frank W. Hunger, Assistant Attorney General, Brenda E. Ellison, ________________ __________________
Senior Litigation Counsel, Office of Immigration Litigation, and
Ernesto H. Molina, Jr., Attorney, Office of Immigration Litigation. ______________________


____________________


____________________




















Per Curiam. After careful review of the record and the ___________

petition for review, we find no reason to reverse the

decision of the BIA. Accordingly, we affirm, essentially for

the reasons stated in that decision, adding only the

following comments.

1. We assume, without deciding, that we have

jurisdiction to hear this petition. See Anti-Terrorism and ___

Effective Death Penalty Act, Public Law No. 104-132, 440(a)

(to be codified at 8 U.S.C. 1105(a)(10)).

2. The BIA considered all the evidence, made specific

findings as to both the positive and negative factors, and

explained how it reached the decision that petitioner's

outstanding equities (long residence, family ties, and

rehabilitation efforts) were outweighed by his extensive

criminal history. The grant or denial of a waiver of

deportation remains a matter of BIA discretion, and this

court will not "second-guess the Board on the manner in which

it weights different factors when arriving at its ultimate

decision." See Gouveia v. INS, 980 F.2d 814, 819 (1st Cir. ___ _______ ___

1992).

3. Petitioner argues in essence that he was "merely a

minor drug peddlar" and not a "drug trafficker," and so he

should not have been required to show outstanding equities.

See Elramly v. INS, 73 F.3d 220, 223 (9th Cir. 1995), cert. ___ _______ ___ _____

granted, 116 S. Ct. 1260 (1996). To the contrary, the BIA _______



-2-













decision shows it considered petitioner's extensive criminal

history in detail in determining that a showing of

outstanding equities was required.

4. There is no record support for petitioner's

assertion that he was not notified at that time of his drug

sentencing about any immigration consequences that he might

face. In any event, petitioner conceded the grounds for

deportation before the immigration judge, and he may not

challenge the validity of his drug conviction during

immigration proceedings. See Gouveia, 980 F.2d at 817. ___ _______

5. Finally, we reject petitioner's argument that

deportation, a civil proceeding, is cruel and unusual

punishment. See Hernandez-Rivera v. INS, 630 F.2d 1352, 1356 ___ ________________ ___

(9th Cir. 1980).

There being no substantial question for review, we

summarily affirm the decision of the BIA and deny and dismiss ______ ____ _______

the petition for review. See 1st Cir. Loc. R. 27.1. ___



















-3-