CERVANTES

Court: Board of Immigration Appeals
Date filed: 1999-07-01
Citations: 22 I. & N. Dec. 560
Copy Citations
2 Citing Cases
Combined Opinion
Interim Decision #3380




     In re Luis Felipe CERVANTES-Gonzalez - Respondent

                         File A72 058 994 - San Francisco

                                Decided March 11, 1999

                            U.S. Department of Justice
                     Executive Office for Immigration Review
                         Board of Immigration Appeals


*(1) The recently amended provisions of section 212(i) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1182(i) (Supp. II 1996), which require that an alien establish extreme hard-
ship to his or her United States citizen or permanent resident alien spouse or parent in order
to qualify for a waiver of inadmissibility, are applicable to pending cases. Matter of Soriano,
21 I&N Dec. 516 (BIA 1996; A.G. 1997), followed.

(2) The factors to be used in determining whether an alien has established extreme hardship
pursuant to section 212(i) of the Act include, but are not limited to, the following: the pres-
ence of lawful permanent resident or United States citizen family ties to this country; the
qualifying relative’s family ties outside the United States; the conditions in the country or
countries to which the qualifying relative would relocate and the extent of the qualifying rel-
ative’s ties to such countries; the financial impact of departure from this country; and, final-
ly, significant conditions of health, particularly when tied to the unavailability of suitable
medical care in the country to which the qualifying relative would relocate.

(3) The underlying fraud or misrepresentation for which an alien seeks a waiver of inadmis-
sibility under section 212(i) of the Act may be considered as an adverse factor in adjudicat-
ing the waiver application in the exercise of discretion. Matter of Tijam, 21 I&N Dec. 3372
(BIA 1998), followed.

James M. Byrne, Esquire, San Francisco, California, for respondent

Shilpa Khagram, Assistant District Counsel, for the Immigration and Naturalization Service

Before:   Board En Banc: DUNNE, Vice Chairman; VACCA, HEILMAN, HOLMES, HUR-
          WITZ, FILPPU, COLE, MATHON, GUENDELSBERGER, JONES, GRANT,
          and SCIALABBA, Board Members. Concurring Opinion: VILLAGELIU, Board
          Member, joined by SCHMIDT, Chairman. Concurring and Dissenting Opinion:
          ROSENBERG, Board Member.

GRANT, Board Member:

    In an oral decision dated January 21, 1997, an Immigration Judge
denied the respondent’s requests for a waiver of inadmissibility and adjust-

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ment of status pursuant to sections 212(i) and 245 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. §§ 1182(i) and 1255 (Supp. II 1996). The respon-
dent’s appeal from that decision will be dismissed.1


                        I. PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

     In a preliminary hearing held on October 26, 1995, the respondent
admitted the allegations contained in the Order to Show Cause and Notice
of Hearing (Form I-221) and was found deportable by the Immigration
Judge. He then filed a request for adjustment of status on September 19,
1996, based on an approved visa petition filed by his United States citizen
spouse.2 Because the respondent had been convicted of possession of false
identification documents, the respondent also filed a request for a waiver of
inadmissibility. See section 245 of the Act.
     The Immigration Judge originally believed that the respondent required
a waiver of inadmissibility under section 212(h) of the Act, but then deter-
mined that the respondent fell within an exception to section
212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) of the Act (crime involving moral turpitude).
Specifically, the Immigration Judge found that the respondent had not been
incarcerated for more than 6 months, making a waiver under 212(h) unnec-
essary. See section 212(a)(2)(A)(ii)(II) of the Act. However, the
Immigration Judge determined that the respondent’s crime did fall within
section 212(a)(6)(C) of the Act, which renders inadmissible any alien who
procures or seeks to procure, by fraud, documentation or other immigration
benefits under the Act. Therefore, the respondent still needed a waiver of
inadmissibility under section 212(i) of the Act (waiver for fraud or misrep-
resentation).
     In determining whether to grant the application for a section 212(i)
waiver, the Immigration Judge found that the respondent had failed to estab-
lish extreme hardship to his spouse in the event he is deported. Additionally,
the Immigration Judge denied the respondent’s application for adjustment
of status as a matter of discretion.
     On appeal, the respondent argues that the Immigration Judge erred in
finding no extreme hardship and that he also gave improper weight to the




*AMENDED COPY
      1
       In addition, the Immigration Judge denied the respondent voluntary departure as a matter
of discretion. As the respondent does not raise this issue on appeal, we decline to address it.
      2
        The visa petition was actually approved while the respondent’s spouse was still a law-
ful permanent resident.


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negative factors in this case. In addressing the respondent’s arguments, we
will engage in an independent review of the merits of the case. Prior to dis-
cussing the merits of the respondent’s arguments, however, we will address
several issues of statutory interpretation raised in his appeal.


                 II. STATUTORY INTERPRETATION ISSUES

   A. Whether a Waiver is Required Under Section 212(i) of the Act

     The respondent first argues that he does not require a waiver of inad-
missibility under section 212(i) of the Act because he is not inadmissible
under section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) of the Act. Specifically, he states that his sole
conviction for possession of a false identification document (namely, a
counterfeit Texas birth certificate) with the intent to defraud the United
States (by obtaining a United States passport) does not fall within the defi-
nition of fraud in the Act. As he was convicted only of possession, he asserts
that it is error to find him guilty of seeking to procure a fraudulent docu-
ment. We disagree. Section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) of the Act states:

   [A]ny alien who, by fraud or willfully misrepresenting a material fact, seeks to pro-
   cure (or has sought to procure or has procured) a visa, other documentation, or admis-
   sion into the United States or other benefit provided under this Act is inadmissible.
   Obviously, the respondent admits to procuring one document in the form of a fraudu-
   lent birth certificate. The respondent testified that he purchased the birth certificate in
   Los Angeles, California, for approximately $400 or $500 so that he could obtain
   employment. He then used the birth certificate to procure by fraud a social security
   number, and he used both documents to seek to procure a passport. The latter docu-
   ment was necessary in order for the respondent to be able to travel into and out of the
   United States and to aid him in obtaining employment.

     We note also that in finding the respondent’s conviction fell within sec-
tion 212(a)(6)(C) of the Act, the Immigration Judge and the Immigration
and Naturalization Service did not improperly “go behind” the conviction
record as contended by the respondent.3 Rather, they were merely estab-
lishing the facts regarding the respondent’s fraud, which would have con-


     3
       On appeal, the respondent argues that the Immigration Judge improperly entertained a
collateral attack on the respondent’s conviction. Although he correctly points out that an
Immigration Judge may not go behind a conviction to determine the guilt or innocence of an
alien, the respondent fails to note that the factors surrounding a conviction may be taken into
consideration when making a discretionary determination. See Matter of Thomas, 21 I&N
Dec. 20 (BIA 1995). This includes taking into consideration the respondent’s future travel
plans as a focus for possible future fraudulent conduct, as well as discussing the initial fraud
of purchasing a fake birth certificate. See INS v. Yueh-Shaio Yang, 519 U.S. 26 (1996), revers-
ing Yang v. INS, 58 F.3d 452 (9th Cir. 1995); see also discussion infra.

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stituted grounds for inadmissibility whether or not the respondent had been
convicted. See section 212(a)(6)(C) of the Act (no conviction is required in
order to establish inadmissibility).
     In sum, we agree with the Immigration Judge that the respondent’s
activities clearly fall within the purview of section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) of the
Act. By fraud and by willful misrepresentation of a material fact, he sought
to procure both “documentation” and “other benefits” under the Act.
Therefore, we turn to the respondent’s claim on appeal that he was not
required to establish extreme hardship under recently enacted immigration
legislation.

      B. Applicability of New Legislation to the Respondent’s Case

     On appeal, the respondent argues that he was not given an adequate
opportunity to present evidence on the issue of extreme hardship because,
at the time of his hearing, “the INS was not asking for any showing of
‘extreme hardship.’” He concedes that the new requirements for section
212(i) relief apply to him, notwithstanding the fact that his application for
relief was filed prior to the enactment of new legislation, i.e., section 349 of
the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996,
Division C of Pub. L. No. 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009-546, 3009-639 (“IIRI-
RA”).4 However, he states that his case should be remanded in order to
allow him to present adequate evidence on the issue of extreme hardship.5
     We first note that the respondent’s concession is in accord with the
Attorney General’s decision in Matter of Soriano, 21 I&N Dec. 516 (BIA
1996; A.G. 1997), which holds that the enactment of new statutory rules of
eligibility for discretionary forms of relief acts to withdraw her jurisdiction
to grant such relief in pending cases to aliens who do not qualify under
those new rules. In conducting a statutory analysis of the new amendments
to section 212(c) of the Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1182(c) (1994), as amended by
Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-


      4
        IIRIRA § 349 amended section 212(i) of the Act to require a showing of extreme hard-
ship to an alien’s United States citizen or permanent resident alien spouse or parent. This sec-
tion of the IIRIRA also limited the availability of section 212(i), which had previously
allowed aliens to establish eligibility if they were parents of United States citizens or lawful
permanent resident aliens. Id.
      5
        We note that the respondent appears to be confused as to the date the IIRIRA was enact-
ed. The date of enactment and the effective date for many provisions in this new legislation
was September 30, 1996, while other changes made by the IIRIRA were delayed from going
into effect until April 1, 1997. The changes made by section 349 were effective on September
30, 1996. Therefore, as the respondent’s case was adjudicated on January 21, 1997, it was
after the date the IIRIRA became effective, and the new requirement of extreme hardship
applies to the respondent’s case.

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132, § 440(d), 110 Stat. 1214, 1277 (“AEDPA”), the Attorney General stated:
   In summary, under Landgraf [v. USI Film Products, 511 U.S. 244 (1994)], a new statute
   does not have retroactivity effect if it does not impair rights a party possessed when he
   or she acted, increase a party’s liability for past conduct, or impose new duties with
   respect to transactions already completed. More specifically, an intervening statute that
   either alters jurisdiction or affects prospective injunctive relief generally does not raise
   retroactivity concerns, and, thus, presumptively is to be applied in pending cases.

Matter of Soriano, supra, A.G. opinion at 536. Likewise, the Attorney
General concluded that the new provisions in section 212(c) applied to
pending cases because the new legislation acted to withdraw her authority
to grant prospective relief; it did not speak to the rights of the affected party.
Id. at 536. The effect was therefore to alter both jurisdiction and the avail-
ability of prospective relief to the alien. Id. at 7; see also AEDPA § 440(d).
     Similarly, we find the request for a waiver of inadmissibility pursuant
to section 212(i) of the Act is a request for prospective relief. “‘It is not
designed to remedy the past but only to affect petitioner’s future status with
respect to the legality of his presence in the United States.’” Matter of
Soriano, supra, A.G. opinion at 538 (quoting Scheidemann v. INS, 83 F.3d
1517, 1523 (3d Cir. 1996) (discussing section 212(c) of the Act)). The con-
sequences to both the respondent in this case and the respondent in
Scheidemann were clear at the time of that conduct and remain unchanged
today—both were subject to possible criminal sanctions and deportation.
Id. Therefore, based on the foregoing, we find that the amendments to sec-
tion 212(i) of the Act are substantially similar to those discussed in Matter
of Soriano, supra, in that they affect only prospective injunctive relief. As
we are bound by the Attorney General’s prior decision, we apply this analy-
sis to the respondent’s case and find that new provisions in section 212(i)
must be applied to pending cases. See Matter of Montenegro, 20 I&N Dec.
603 (BIA 1992) (holding that the Board and all the Immigration Judges are
strictly bound by the determinations of the Attorney General because our
jurisdiction derives from hers). Since the amendments made by section 349
of the IIRIRA were effective upon the date of enactment, September 30,
1996, they were properly applied by the Immigration Judge in his decision
of January 21, 1997.6
     Therefore, we reject the respondent’s claim that since “INS was not
asking for any showing of extreme hardship,” his case should be remanded
for an opportunity to present evidence of extreme hardship. It is clear from


      6
        The argument in the respondent’s brief which addresses when the Department of State
communicated the new section 212(i) requirements to its overseas consular offices is irrele-
vant. It is clear from the record that the Immigration Judge was aware of the new standard and
applied it to this case.

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the record that the parties were aware that the extreme hardship requirement
added by IIRIRA was being applied to the respondent’s case, and he had
ample opportunity to present evidence in this regard. Based on the forego-
ing, we find no error in the Immigration Judge’s application of extreme
hardship to this case, and we also find no ground upon which to remand.
Accordingly, we will now discuss whether the respondent has met the statu-
tory requirement of extreme hardship.


                III. MERITS OF THE RESPONDENT’S CASE

                               A. Extreme Hardship

     As we have stated in other cases involving discretionary relief, extreme
hardship is not a definable term of fixed and inflexible meaning, and the
elements to establish extreme hardship are dependent upon the facts and cir-
cumstances of each case. See Matter of Chumpitazi, 16 I&N Dec. 629 (BIA
1978). The Board has, however, enunciated factors relevant to the issue of
the extreme hardship determination in previous decisions, albeit ones
involving relief other than a section 212(i) waiver.
     Although it is, for the most part, prudent to avoid cross application
between different types of relief of particular principles or standards, we
find the factors articulated in cases involving suspension of deportation7 and
other waivers of inadmissibility to be helpful, given that both forms of relief
require extreme hardship and the exercise of discretion. See Matter of
Mendez, 21 I&N Dec. 296 (BIA 1996) (applying discretionary factors artic-
ulated in a section 212(c) case to a waiver of inadmissibility under section
212(h)(1)(B) of the Act); see also Hassan v. INS, 927 F.2d 465, 467 (9th Cir.
1991) (noting that suspension cases interpreting extreme hardship are use-
ful for interpreting extreme hardship in section 212(h) cases). These factors
relate to the level of extreme hardship which an alien’s “qualifying relative,”
in this case his spouse, would experience upon deportation of the respon-
dent. INS v. Hector, 479 U.S. 85 (1986) (stating that the Board does not
need to consider hardship to third parties other than the qualifying relatives
delineated in the Act for purposes of deciding whether an alien is entitled to
relief).

                           1. Factors To Be Considered

     The factors deemed relevant in determining extreme hardship to a qual-

     7
      We note that this form of relief was repealed by the IIRIRA. See section 244(a) of the
Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1254(a) (1994) (including extreme hardship as one of several statutory ele-
ments required for suspension of deportation).

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Interim Decision #3380


ifying relative include, but are not limited to, the following: the presence of
lawful permanent resident or United States citizen family ties to this coun-
try; the qualifying relative’s family ties outside the United States; the con-
ditions in the country or countries to which the qualifying relative would
relocate and the extent of the qualifying relative’s ties to such countries; the
financial impact of departure from this country; and, finally, significant
conditions of health, particularly when tied to an unavailability of suitable
medical care in the country to which the qualifying relative would relocate.
See Jong Ha Wang v. INS, 450 U.S. 139 (1981); Gutierrez-Centeno v. INS,
99 F.3d 1529 (9th Cir. 1996); Shooshtary v. INS, 39 F.3d 1049 (9th Cir.
1994); Palmer v. INS, 4 F.3d 482 (7th Cir. 1993); Cerrillo-Perez v. INS, 809
F.2d 1419 (9th Cir. 1987); Ramirez-Durazo v. INS, 794 F.2d 491 (9th Cir.
1986); Sanchez v. INS, 755 F.2d 1158 (5th Cir. 1985); Contreras-Buenfil v.
INS, 712 F.2d 401 (9th Cir. 1983); Ramirez-Gonzalez v. INS, 695 F.2d 1208
(9th Cir. 1983); see also Matter of Pilch, 21 I&N Dec. 627 (BIA 1996);
Matter of L-O-G-, 21 I&N Dec. 413 (BIA 1996); Matter of O-J-O-, 21 I&N
Dec. 381 (BIA 1996); Matter of Ige, 20 I&N Dec. 880 (BIA 1994); Matter
of Anderson, 16 I&N Dec. 596 (BIA 1978).
     While not all of the foregoing factors need be analyzed in any given
case, we will now apply those factors to the present case to the extent they
are relevant in determining extreme hardship to the respondent’s spouse.
We emphasize again, however, that the list of factors noted above is not
exclusive and also that the Attorney General and her delegates have the
authority to construe extreme hardship narrowly. INS v. Jong Ha Wang,
supra, at 144. In addition, we note that establishing extreme hardship does
not create any entitlement to relief. Although extreme hardship is a require-
ment for section 212(i) relief, once established, it is but one favorable dis-
cretionary factor to be considered. See Matter of Mendez, supra, at 7.

                                 2. Analysis

     The respondent is a 24-year-old native and citizen of Mexico. He has
resided in the United States since 1989 and was recently married in 1995.
At the time of the marriage, the respondent’s wife was a lawful permanent
resident; she became a naturalized United States citizen in 1996. Both the
respondent and his wife reside with her family and provide them some
financial support in return for room and board. Most of the respondent’s
family, however, resides in Mexico.
     The respondent testified that he and his wife have very little money.
Therefore, if forced to accompany the respondent to Mexico, the respon-
dent’s wife would be unable to travel back and forth to visit her family in
the United States. In addition, the respondent’s wife testified that she would
have difficulty in obtaining employment in Mexico.
     Having fully weighed the factors mentioned above, we find that the

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respondent has failed to establish extreme hardship to his spouse. As noted
in the Immigration Judge’s decision, the respondent’s wife knew that the
respondent was in deportation proceedings at the time they were married.8
In contrast to the respondent’s assertions on appeal, this factor is not irrele-
vant. Rather, it goes to the respondent’s wife’s expectations at the time they
were wed. Indeed, she was aware that she may have to face the decision of
parting from her husband or following him to Mexico in the event he was
ordered deported. In the latter scenario, the respondent’s wife was also
aware that a move to Mexico would separate her from her family in
California. We find this to undermine the respondent’s argument that his
wife will suffer extreme hardship if he is deported. See Perez v. INS, 96 F.3d
390, 392 (9th Cir. 1996) (stating that “‘[e]xtreme hardship’ is hardship that
is ‘unusual or beyond that which would normally be expected’ upon depor-
tation. ‘The common results of deportation are insufficient to prove extreme
hardship.’” (quoting Hassan v. INS, supra, at 468)); Shooshtary v. INS,
supra, at 1051 (holding that the uprooting of family and separation from
friends does not necessarily amount to extreme hardship but rather repre-
sents the type of inconvenience and hardship experienced by the families of
most aliens being deported); Silverman v. Rogers, 437 F.2d 102, 107 (1st
Cir. 1970) (stating that “[e]ven assuming that the federal government had
no right either to prevent a marriage or destroy it, we believe that here it has
done nothing more than to say that the residence of one of the marriage
partners may not be in the United States”), cert. denied, 402 U.S. 983
(1971).
     Additionally, at no time during the hearing did the respondent’s wife
suggest that she would suffer any particular hardship, let alone extreme
hardship, by moving to Mexico. See Shooshtary v. INS, supra, at 1051
(reviewing the Board’s denial of a waiver of inadmissibility under section
212(h)(1)(B) of the Act, and stating that a “‘waiver should be granted only
in those cases where “great actual or prospective injury” to the qualifying
party will occur. There must be an “extreme impact” on the citizen or law-
ful permanent resident family member. . . .’” (quoting the Board’s decision
in the case, which in turn quoted Matter of Ngai, 19 I&N Dec. 245 (BIA
1984))). Furthermore, although the respondent’s spouse would lose the
physical proximity to her family, she speaks Spanish and the majority of her
family is originally from Mexico. Therefore, she should have less difficul-
ty adjusting to life in a foreign country. See Ramirez-Durazo v. INS, supra,
at 498 (noting that the family spoke Spanish, which would ease the chil-
dren’s transition to Mexican society and schools, and that any hardship


      8
        We note that, on appeal, the respondent argues that the Immigration Judge failed to con-
sider the hardship to his wife. We disagree and find that the Immigration Judge gave adequate
consideration to this issue.

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Interim Decision #3380


would be alleviated by numerous relatives living in the country to which the
qualifying aliens would be relocating); Ramirez-Gonzalez v. INS, supra, at
1211 (holding that the hardship resulting from separation from extended
family would be alleviated by immediate family relatives living in the
alien’s homeland); see also Matter of Pilch, supra, at 632 (noting that
numerous family members in Poland may be able to provide an emotional
base of support upon the aliens’ return to that country).
     In addition, neither the respondent nor his wife have any real financial
ties to the United States. The respondent’s wife is currently unemployed.
Although the respondent is a musician in a band, he provided no evidence
to prove that it had experienced success such that deportation would cause
him to relinquish a lucrative career and, therefore, plunge his wife into
unaccustomed poverty. Even if this were the case, we have generally not
found financial hardship alone to amount to extreme hardship. See, e.g., INS
v. Jong Ha Wang, supra, at 144 (holding that the mere showing of econom-
ic detriment to qualifying family members is insufficient to warrant findings
of extreme hardship); Ramirez-Durazo v. INS, supra, at 499 (finding no
extreme hardship where the child faced a lower standard of living in
Mexico); Hernandez-Patino v. INS, 831 F.2d 750, 755 (7th Cir. 1987);
Holley v. INS, 727 F.2d 189 (1st Cir. 1984); Jong Shik Choe v. INS, 597 F.2d
168 (9th Cir. 1979); see also Shooshtary v. INS, supra, at 1051 (stating that
the “extreme hardship requirement of section 212(h)(2) was not enacted to
insure that the family members of excludable aliens fulfill their dreams or
continue in the lives which they currently enjoy”).
     In sum, the respondent has failed to show that his spouse would suffer
extreme hardship over and above the normal economic and social disrup-
tions involved in the deportation of a family member. See Matter of Pilch,
supra; see also Hassan v. INS, supra, at 468 (finding that an alien attempt-
ing to establish extreme hardship must show a more severe impact than that
of the common results of deportation); Ramirez-Durazo v. INS, supra, at
498. Therefore, we agree with the Immigration Judge’s decision denying
the respondent a waiver of inadmissibility under section 212(i) of the Act.
     Having found the respondent statutorily ineligible for relief, we decline
to discuss whether or not he merits a waiver as a matter of discretion.
However, for purposes of clarity and future adjudications, we will address
the respondent’s argument that the Immigration Judge erred in considering
his original fraud as an adverse factor when discussing discretion.

          B. Use of Underlying Fraud as an Adverse Factor in
                    Determining Discretionary Relief

     On appeal, the respondent cites several cases to support his assertion
that the Immigration Judge erroneously focused on the underlying fraud as
an adverse factor. See Matter of Alonzo, 17 I&N Dec. 292 (Comm’r 1979);

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Matter of Da Silva, 17 I&N Dec. 288 (Comm’r 1979). As correctly noted
by the respondent, these cases stand for the proposition that obtaining cer-
tain documentation by fraud, in order to achieve an immigration benefit,
“shows disrespect for the law, but . . . is the action for which [the applicants]
seek to be forgiven and should not be held as an adverse factor.” Matter of
Alonzo, supra, at 294. However, this Board is not bound by decisions of the
Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. See Matter
of Fueyo, 20 I&N Dec. 84, 87 n.3 (BIA 1989). In addition, since the writ-
ing of these decisions, several changes in law have required us to reevalu-
ate the issue of use of underlying fraud as an adverse factor.
     Specifically, the United States Supreme Court ruled in INS v. Yueh-
Shaio Yang, 519 U.S. 26 (1996), that the Attorney General has the authori-
ty to consider any and all negative factors, including the respondent’s ini-
tial fraud, in deciding whether or not to grant a waiver under section
241(a)(1)(H) of the Act. Therefore, as more thoroughly articulated in
Matter of Tijam, 22 I&N Dec. 3372 (BIA 1998), the Supreme Court has
undercut the rationale of Matter of Da Silva, supra, and Matter of Alonzo,
supra. For this reason, as well as those stated in Matter of Tijam, supra, we
find that the Immigration Judge properly considered the respondent’s
underlying fraud as an adverse factor in denying him relief under section
212(i) of the Act as a matter of discretion.

                             IV. CONCLUSION

     Based on the foregoing, we conclude that the respondent has failed to
establish statutory eligibility for a waiver of inadmissibility under section
212(i) of the Act. Therefore, he is also ineligible for adjustment of status. In
addition, we find that the Immigration Judge properly considered the
respondent’s underlying fraud as an adverse factor when denying him relief
as a matter of discretion. Accordingly, his appeal will be dismissed.
     ORDER: The appeal is dismissed.
Board Member Anthony C. Moscato did not participate in the decision in
this case.

CONCURRING OPINION: Gustavo D. Villageliu, Board Member, in
which Paul W. Schmidt, Chairman, joined

    I respectfully concur.
    While I generally concur with both the result and reasoning of the
majority opinion, I write separately to address briefly four minor points in
the majority’s precedent opinion that may be misinterpreted.
    First, in assessing the extreme hardship requirement, the majority cites
INS v. Hector, 479 U.S. 85 (1986), for the proposition that hardship to rel-

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atives not listed under former section 244(a) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1254(a) (1994), need not be considered.
However, the Supreme Court in INS v. Hector, supra, at 86 n.1, specifically
recognized the relevance of such relatives’ suffering to the determination of
the hardship the respondent will suffer if deported, citing Contreras-Buenfil
v. INS, 712 F.2d 401, 403 (9th Cir. 1983) (separation from woman and her
son respondent lived with), and Antoine-Dorcelli v. INS, 703 F.2d 19, 21-22
(1st Cir. 1983) (separation from family for whom respondent was caretak-
er). Moreover, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit,
where this case arises, has ruled that in considering the totality of factors
relevant to the extreme hardship determination in suspension applications,
the Board abused its discretion in failing to consider the consequences of an
alien’s deportation on other relatives not specifically listed under section
244(a)(1). See Tukhowinich v. INS, 64 F.3d 460 (9th Cir. 1995). The major-
ity’s statement that nonqualifying relatives need not be considered should
be read only as applicable to applications for relief under section 212(i) of
the Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1182(i) (Supp. II 1996), where hardship to the applicant
is not a listed factor.
     Second, the majority’s opinion may be read to imply that the time the
respondent and his spouse wed is determinative as to whether to discount
the spouse’s hardship because of diminished expectations when marrying
an alien in deportation proceedings. I disagree with that implication. Such
diminished expectations clearly must relate to the actual circumstances,
both of the marriage, and of the pending deportation proceedings, and the
totality of the circumstances is paramount. Moreover, we only “discount”
equities acquired after a final order of deportation. See Matter of Correa, 19
I&N Dec. 130 (BIA 1984). In this case no final order was entered since an
appeal was pending. See Matter of Lok, 18 I&N Dec. 101 (BIA 1981) (stat-
ing that an order is final when the Board renders its decision on appeal).
     Here, such a discount was appropriate, as the majority properly point-
ed out that the respondent’s spouse at no time suggested that she would suf-
fer any particular hardship if she moved to Mexico with the respondent. A
different situation would arise, for instance, where the marriage takes place
after proceedings are initiated, but was preceded by a long-term cohabita-
tive relationship; where the alien was in protected status and deportation
was neither imminent nor likely in the foreseeable future; or where eligi-
bility for adjustment of status without the need for a discretionary waiver of
inadmissibility has been established. See, e.g., Matter of Gutierrez-Lopez,
21 I&N Dec. 479 (BIA 1996). A respondent’s relationship to his spouse’s
offspring may also be an appropriate consideration in the extreme hardship
determination. See Contreras-Buenfil v. INS, supra. Any hardship to a qual-
ifying spouse must always be considered. See Watkins v. INS, 63 F.3d 844
(9th Cir. 1995). In short, as we have often stated, extreme hardship is not a
definable term of fixed and inflexible meaning, and the elements to estab-

                                     570
                                                      Interim Decision #3380


lish extreme hardship are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of
each case. See Matter of Chumpitazi, 16 I&N Dec. 629 (BIA 1978). Under
the specific facts of this case extreme hardship was not established, and this
case should not be misinterpreted as requiring a discount of the hardships
present in all cases where the wedding ceremony takes place after proceed-
ings are initiated.
     Third, the majority’s opinion correctly notes that in purchasing the
fraudulent birth certificate, using it to procure a fraudulent social security
card, and subsequently using these documents to seek to procure a United
States passport in order to travel into and out of the United States and seek
employment, the respondent sought to procure both “documentation” and
“other benefits” under the Act. The majority’s finding is consistent with the
close scrutiny of such a finding required by Matter of Healy and Goodchild,
17 I&N Dec. 22 (BIA 1979), because of its harsh consequences. However,
a small clarification is needed. The other benefits under the Act the respon-
dent sought to procure are the right to travel with a United States passport
pursuant to section 215(b) of the Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1185(b) (1994). The
majority’s language may be misinterpreted as suggesting that using the
fraudulent passport to obtain employment is obtaining a benefit under the
Act.
     Although the use or possession of such document is punishable under
section 274C of the Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1324c (1994 & Supp. II 1996), work-
ing in the United States is not “a benefit provided under this Act,” and we
have specifically held that a violation of section 274C and fraud or misrep-
resentation under section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) of the Act are not equivalent. See
Matter of Lazarte, 21 I&N Dec. 214 (BIA 1996); accord Matter of Jimenez-
Santillano, 21 I&N Dec. 567 (BIA 1996); cf. Matter of Serna, 20 I&N Dec.
579 (BIA 1992) (relating to possession or use of an altered immigration
document). It is long settled that inadmissibility for immigration fraud does
not ensue from the mere purchase of fraudulent documents, absent an
attempt to fraudulently use the document for immigration purposes. Matter
of Kai Hing Hui, 15 I&N Dec. 288 (BIA 1975); Matter of Sarkissian, 10
I&N Dec. 109 (BIA 1962); Matter of Box, 10 I&N Dec. 87 (BIA 1962);
accord Matter of D-L- & A-M-, 20 I&N Dec. 409 (BIA 1991); cf. Matter of
Serna, supra (stating that mere possession is not a crime involving moral
turpitude).
     Finally, the majority points out that the Supreme Court has indicated
that we may permissibly construe the element of extreme hardship narrow-
ly. However, such permissibility does not require a narrow construction of
extreme hardship, and we have recently declined to do so, choosing instead
to rely on our precedents for guidance in our case-by-case determinations.
See Matter of O-J-O-, 21 I&N Dec. 381 (BIA 1996). Consequently, this
decision should not be misinterpreted as a change in our precedents regard-
ing the level of hardship we will require for relief from deportation. See
Matter of O-J-O-, supra, at 387, 389 (Dunne and Holmes, concurring), and
                                      571
Interim Decision #3380


cases cited therein.

CONCURRING AND DISSENTING OPINION: Lory Diana Rosenberg,
Board Member

     I respectfully concur in part and dissent in part.
     In my view the majority opinion is erroneous as a matter of law in every
respect. I disagree with the majority opinion for four principal reasons.
     First, I disagree that the respondent is inadmissible, as I do not believe
that any of the documents he supposedly “procured” fall within the statuto-
ry ground of inadmissibility under section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(6)(C)(i) (Supp. II
1996), which requires that “a visa [or] other documentation” was used to
obtain “admission into the United States or other benefit provided under
[the] Act.” Id. Second, I disagree that section 212(i), as amended by the
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996,
Division C of Pub. L. No. 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009-546, 3009-639 (“IIRI-
RA”), applies to the respondent, as it contains no express legislative man-
date making its application retroactive.
     Third, even assuming that the respondent was required to satisfy the
more restrictive standard imposed by the IIRIRA, requiring a showing of
extreme hardship, and limiting the extreme hardship considered to hardship
that would be experienced by his spouse, I find that the extreme hardship
adjudication fails to consider all the relevant factors involved, contrary to
the law of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in which
this appeal arises. Fourth, I disagree that the Immigration Judge’s denial of
voluntary departure is not a proper matter for review, merely because the
respondent has not addressed it in his appeal.
     It is with regard to my second point of disagreement that I feel I must
concur. Arguably, the reasoning in the Attorney General’s decision in
Matter of Soriano, 21 I&N Dec. 516 (BIA, A.G. 1997) (interpreting the new
restrictions on eligibility for discretionary section 212(c) waivers to present
no retroactivity concerns, by comparing such waivers to prospective injunc-
tive relief, a procedural mechanism that, under Landgraf v. USI Film
Products, 511 U.S. 244 (1994), would be applicable immediately), may
control the issue as to which version of section 212(i) of the Act applies to
the respondent’s case. Nevertheless, as discussed below, I believe the recent
opinions of the Supreme Court, as well as the decisions of three federal cir-
cuit courts of appeals and several federal district courts rejecting the
Attorney General’s interpretation, warrant our reconsideration of Matter of
Soriano, as well as a fresh interpretation of the statutory section at issue,
unencumbered by the reasoning in that decision.
     In sum, based on my findings that (1) the majority decision erroneously
determines the respondent inadmissible when he is not inadmissible, and (2)

                                     572
                                                                    Interim Decision #3380


even if inadmissible, the majority either erroneously judges the respondent’s
waiver application according to the wrong version of the statute, or erro-
neously applies the prevailing standard applicable to a discretionary determi-
nation of the presence of extreme hardship, I conclude that the respondent has
been denied a fair hearing, and a reasoned decision. I do not believe that the
respondent received a fair hearing as a matter of law, and I do not believe that
the favorable and adverse factors present in this case were fairly weighed and
balanced as our own standards, applicable circuit standards, and the principle
of fundamental fairness require. Consequently, I dissent.


                      I. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS

     This case commenced on May 9, 1995, the date the Immigration and
Naturalization Service filed the Order to Show Cause and Notice of Hearing
(Form I-221) with the Immigration Court. It involves a conviction, the sen-
tence for which was entered on February 5, 1995. The original hearing was
convened before the Immigration Judge on October 26, 1995, and the
respondent filed an application for adjustment of status and a waiver of
inadmissibility on September 19, 1996. Each of these events preceded the
enactment of the IIRIRA. Thus, this case is not subject to the majority of
the provisions of the IIRIRA related to removable aliens, as the case was
pending prior to September 30, 1996, the date the IIRIRA was enacted. See
IIRIRA § 309(c)(1).
     At issue is the respondent’s application for adjustment of status based on
his undeniably valid marriage to a United States citizen. In addition, at issue is
the respondent’s application for a waiver of inadmissibility. This aspect of the
respondent’s appeal involves the question of how difficult are we are going to
make it, within the statutory and regulatory confines that may exist, for the
respondent to prevail and be granted a waiver and adjustment of status? In this
context, we must examine which provisions of the Immigration and Nation-
ality Act actually apply to the respondent, and assuming that the most harsh
and restrictive provisions are applicable, how we wish to construe them.


     II. INADMISSIBILITY UNDER SECTION 212(i) OF THE ACT

     According to the record, the respondent pled guilty to and was con-


      1
        Although the majority is not relying on the fact of the respondent’s conviction, per se,
to find that he is inadmissible and requires a waiver under section 212(i) of the Act, the
majority takes issue with the respondent’s contention that his conviction for possession of a
false identification document does not support a finding that he is deportable as an alien who
“by fraud or willfully misrepresenting a material fact, seeks to procure (or . . . has procured)

                                              573
Interim Decision #3380


victed of a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028(a)(4) (1994), possession of a false
identification document.1 That federal criminal provision under which the
respondent was convicted states as follows:
   Whoever, in a circumstance described in subsection (c) of this section—

      (4) knowingly possesses an identification document (other than one issued law-
      fully for the use of the possessor) or a false identification document, with the
      intent such document be used to defraud the United States . . .

   or attempts to do so, shall be punished as provided in subsection (b) of this section.

18 U.S.C. § 1028(a)(4) (emphasis added).
     According to an “Information” in the record, the conviction refers to
the respondent’s possession of a false birth certificate, which he used in
applying for a United States passport at a passport agency in San Francisco.2
This conduct occurred on September 27, 1994.
     Putting aside, for a moment, the procedural defects in the decisions of
the Immigration Judge and the majority related to their failure to consider
the actual offense for which the respondent was convicted, the majority
inexplicably focuses on the verb “procuring” in assessing inadmissibility.
In fact, the operative word in section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) of the Act as it relates
to the respondent’s case is not whether he procured a document or was seek-
ing to procure another document, but whether the procuring in which he
engaged was for the purpose of obtaining “a visa, other documentation, or
admission into the United States, or other benefit provided under this Act.”
(Emphasis added.)
     Initially, I note that the conduct of the respondent on which the
Immigration Judge and the majority rely in finding the respondent to be
inadmissible under section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) of the Act is based on his con-
viction for offering a United States birth certificate obtained from a friend
to obtain a United States passport. The statute under which the respondent
was convicted covers conduct that is engaged in with an intent to defraud
the United States. It does not require, in every instance, that the conduct
engaged in be engaged in with the intent, or with the result, of obtaining a
“benefit . . . under this Act.” The term “this Act” in section 212(a)(6)(C)(i)
refers to the Immigration and Nationality Act.
     Thus, an individual could be convicted under 18 U.S.C. § 1028(a)(4)
without there being any specific evidence that the individual had any intent



      2
        In the event that a judgment of conviction does not clearly reflect the offense for which
the respondent was convicted, it is proper to look beyond the judgment of conviction to the
“record of conviction.” See Matter of Short, 20 I&N Dec. 136 (BIA 1989); see also Matter
of Pichardo, 21 I&N Dec. 330 (BIA 1996).

                                              574
                                                                   Interim Decision #3380


to act, or actually did act to obtain a “benefit under this Act.” Cf. section
212(a)(6)(C)(i) of the Act. There is nothing in the record of conviction
before us, nor in the testimony or other documentation in the record before
us, that indicates that the respondent engaged in the conduct resulting in his
conviction for possession of a false identification document to obtain a
“benefit under [the] Act.”
     Moreover, neither employment, nor the ability to travel necessarily
constitutes a “benefit under this Act.” No matter how powerful the majori-
ty may wish to make the reach of the Immigration and Nationality Act, it
does not extend to the constitutional rights to work and to travel. As should
be self-evident, an individual may be prosecuted under federal criminal law
for a violation of using false documents “to defraud the United States,” but
not be convicted of an offense that involves fraud or a material misrepre-
sentation to obtain a “benefit under [the] Act.” As the respondent argues,
he was convicted only of possession of identification documents, not of
using them to procure admission or any other benefit under the Act. His
conviction is for possessing the document with the intent to defraud the
United States. No more; no less.3
     Furthermore, it is critical to understand that Congress specifically mod-
ified the text of section 212(a)(6)(C) of the Act in the IIRIRA. Our analysis
of the respondent’s conviction should take into account Congress’ action in
adding a separate subsection to cover aliens who make false claims to U.S.
citizenship. In adding a second subsection, section 212(a)(6)(C)(ii),
Congress indicated its intent to encompass “aliens who falsely claim U.S.
citizenship for ‘any purpose or benefit under this Act (including section
274A) . . .’ under any federal or state law.” See National Immigration
Project, Immigration Law and Defense, ch. 5, § 5.2, at 41. This new sub-
section, effective after September 30, 1996, appears to provide that an
alien’s false claim to citizenship covers situations in which an alien has
claimed citizenship to obtain employment. See also Department of State
cable (no. 97-State-174342) (Sept. 17, 1997), reprinted in 74 Interpreter
Releases, No. 37, Sept. 29, 1997, at 1483-85 (concluding that after
September 30, 1996, the added subsection would warrant a finding of inad-
missibility under section 212(a)(6)(C)).
     Why would Congress have to amend section 212(a)(6)(C) if subsection



      3
       Even if the respondent’s testimony is considered to establish that the birth certificate
was used to seek to obtain a passport, I would question whether seeking to obtain a passport
is an act that is covered by the phrase in section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) that refers to seeking to pro-
cure or procuring a “benefit under [the] Act.” Issuance of a passport is an act of the United
States Government that provides a citizen with a document. One who is a citizen or seeks to
document the status of being a citizen by obtaining a passport is not seeking a “benefit under
[the] Act,” as the Act applies, by definition, only to noncitizens.

                                              575
Interim Decision #3380


(i) covered all possible fraud or misrepresentation that could be made for
any purpose? Why would such an amendment be necessary if seeking to
procure or procuring a passport, which constitutes evidence of citizenship,
already was encompassed by the existing section under which the
Immigration Judge and the majority contend that the respondent is inad-
missible? The answer is that section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) does not cover all
fraud or misrepresentation; it covers fraud or misrepresentation to obtain a
“benefit under [the] Act.”
     Being treated as a citizen arguably is not a “benefit under [the] Act,”
notwithstanding the possibility that citizenship status may have been
acquired based on a prior immigrant status. If one is treated as a citizen, one
is not subject to the Act. There are federal criminal provisions to deal with
persons who abuse the law and who seek to use fraud or some document to
present themselves (or who have presented themselves) as citizens. But
what such an individual may gain from such misrepresentation cannot nec-
essarily be said to be a “benefit under [the] Act.” What he has gained is
treatment as a citizen—a person not subject to the Act.
     Therefore, as I do not conclude that the respondent is inadmissible
based on his conviction, or on any testimony that he presented during the
hearing, I would not require him to qualify for a waiver of a ground of
inadmissibility under section 212(a)(6)(C)(i) of the Act. However, the
majority has dismissed the respondent’s arguments in this regard, and has
forged ahead to impose upon the respondent more than merely a require-
ment that he establish eligibility for a waiver under section 212(i) as it
existed when the respondent’s conduct occurred, when his hearing com-
menced, or when he made application for adjustment of status. The major-
ity demands that he establish that a waiver is warranted under the version
of the statute as amended. Therefore, my differences with the majority
opinion continue.


         III. RESPONDENT’S APPLICATION FOR A WAIVER
                     UNDER SECTION 212(i)

     Assuming a waiver of inadmissibility is required at all, the respondent’s
application should be considered under the version of section 212(i) of the
Act that existed at the time he engaged in activity that resulted in his con-
viction; at the time he was charged with being deportable and proceedings
against him were commenced; and at the time he submitted his application
for adjustment of status. Establishing eligibility for a waiver under then-
existing section 212(i) of the Act would mean that the respondent would not
be required to establish extreme hardship only to his spouse or any other
qualifying relative.
     As discussed in more detail below, I note that the analysis relied on

                                     576
                                                       Interim Decision #3380


by the majority—which is the analysis that the Board invoked in Matter
of Gomez-Giraldo, 20 I&N Dec. 957 (BIA 1995), and that was echoed by
the Attorney General in her recent decision overruling the Board in Matter
of Soriano, supra—has been rejected repeatedly by the Supreme Court of
the United States. Although the Board is bound by the decisions of the
Attorney General, the Supreme Court has rejected the underpinnings of
the Attorney General’s interpretation of an application for a waiver as a
“prospective” application in at least two decisions of the Court issued
after Soriano. The Supreme Court’s interpretation to the contrary has also
been applied by three federal circuit courts of appeals addressing the
immigration provision in question subsequent to the Attorney General’s
decision in Soriano.
     In addition, I find questionable the majority’s assumption that the
respondent and his spouse knew or should have known what version of the
law would be applied to their case, or what would be required to establish
extreme hardship to the qualifying family member, particularly since the
majority has selected this case to establish a precedent decision, essentially
rejecting two of the principal cases relied on previously in adjudicating such
waivers. Nevertheless, even if he is required to satisfy the terms of the cur-
rent version of section 212(i) of the Act—enacted into law after he engaged
in the conduct leading to his conviction (upon which the question of his
admissibility relies), and after he was placed in deportation proceedings and
had submitted his application for a waiver and for adjustment of status—I
am inclined to find that the respondent’s spouse would suffer extreme hard-
ship.


          A. Impermissibly Retroactive Nature of the Current
                  Version of Section 212(i) of the Act

     The retroactive application of a statute is not to be presumed, and only
will be implemented based on an express statement by Congress of its
intention to accomplish such an application. Landgraf v. USI Film Products,
supra, at 270 (citing United States v. Heth, 3 Cranch 399, 2 L. Ed. 479
(1806)); see also Hughes Aircraft Co. v. United States ex rel. Schumer, 520
U.S. 939, 117 S. Ct. 1871 (1997); Lynce v. Mathis, 519 U.S. 433, 117 S. Ct.
891 (1997). This doctrine applies to the noncitizen’s expectations, which
may lodge at the time he engages in conduct or is charged with conduct that
may require a waiver, that he will be afforded the opportunity to apply for
a waiver that is provided by the statute. It extends to cases in which, at the
very least, the relevant statute is in existence at the time an application for
such a waiver is made. Goncalves v. Reno, 144 F.3d 110 (1st Cir. 1998),
cert. denied, 119 S.Ct. 1140 (1999).
     It is viewed as extending to cases that were commenced at the time the

                                     577
Interim Decision #3380


statute was in existence. Henderson v. INS, 157 F.3d 106 (2d Cir. 1998),
cert. denied, sub nom Reno v. Navas, 119 S.Ct. 1141 (1999); Sandoval v.
Reno, 166 F.3d 225 (3d Cir. 1999).4 And it has been construed as applying
to cases in which the statute was in effect when a noncitizen pled guilty to
an offense on which a later charge of deportability is based. Wallace v.
Reno, 24 F. Supp.2d 104 (D. Mass. 1998); see also, e.g., Lee v. Reno 15 F.
Supp.2d 26, 46 (D.D.C. 1998) (finding that a retroactive application of §
440(d) would “disable” the petitioner by rendering him ineligible to apply
for a waiver, imposing additional burdens on prior criminal conduct); Billett
v. Reno, 2 F. Supp.2d 368, 373 (W.D.N.Y. 1998) (finding retroactive appli-
cation improperly impairs the petitioner’s right to request a waiver “despite
the fact that he enjoyed such a right at the time he was convicted”);
Sandoval v. Reno, 1997 WL 839465, at *5 (E.D. Pa. Dec. 30, 1997) (find-
ing that Congress expressed an intent to apply the amendment only prospec-
tively and not to “conduct predating AEDPA’s enactment,” because an
alien’s decision to plead guilty would have hinged on his knowledge he was
eligible to apply for discretionary relief in subsequent deportation proceed-
ings).
     Rejecting the “prospective” construction adopted in Soriano, the First
and Second Circuits and a growing number of federal district courts have
found explicitly that, in the absence of Congress having provided express
language to the contrary, the imposition of an amended section of an immi-
gration statute that changes the terms of eligibility for a waiver is imper-
missibly retroactive when applied to applicants who had settled expecta-
tions regarding the opportunity to apply for waiver relief.
     A retroactive application of a statute is one that takes away or impairs
vested rights, creates a new obligation, or attaches a new disability in rela-
tion to past transactions. Landgraf v. USI Film Products, supra, at 269;
Hughes Aircraft Co. v. United States ex rel. Schumer, 117 S. Ct. at 1876.
Recently, in Lindh v. Murphy, 521 U.S. 320, 117 S. Ct. 2059 (1997), the
Supreme Court emphasized that before resorting to the principles regarding


      4
        See also Machado v. Reno, 33 F. Supp.2d 88, at 91 (D. Mass. 1999) (holding that “the
salient points of Goncalves apply with equal force to cover all persons against whom INS
commenced deportation proceedings . . . by the time of AEDPA’s enactment”); Almonte v.
Reno, 27 F. Supp.2d 106, 109 (D. Mass. 1998) (concluding that to limit the holding in
Goncalves to applications filed before April 24, 1996, “exalts form over substance”); Ranglin
v. Reno, 27 F. Supp.2d 262 (D. Mass. 1998) (emphasizing that the Goncalves analysis is
equally applicable to a respondent in deportation proceedings, who had not filed an applica-
tion by April 24, 1996); Lee v. Reno, 15 F. Supp.2d 26, 45-46 (D.D.C. 1998) (finding that in
the absence of an express statement by Congress, a “textual argument” is persuasive and sup-
ports the conclusion that “Congress did not intend for § 440(d) to apply retroactively. Even if
it did, the statute would have retroactive effect, and such intent was not stated clearly enough
to overcome the presumption against retroactivity.”).


                                             578
                                                                   Interim Decision #3380


impermissibly retroactive provisions articulated in Landgraf, as was done
by the Attorney General in Soriano, the “normal rules of construction”
apply. These rules should be applied to determine a statute’s temporal reach,
as such a determination may eliminate the possibility of retroactive appli-
cation and avoid the need for a Landgraf analysis altogether. Lindh v.
Murphy, 117 S. Ct. at 2062-63.5
     Applying the normal rules of construction to section 212(i) of the Act,
as amended by the IIRIRA, it is evident that there is nothing in its plain
terms or elsewhere in the statute that even suggests that the amended ver-
sion of the waiver provision was meant to be applied retroactively to a pend-
ing application, which seeks to waive conduct occurring prior to the amend-
ment of the Act. Although, in Matter of Soriano, supra, the Attorney
General construed a different waiver provision, amended by the Antiterrorism
and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-132, 110 Stat.
1214 (“AEDPA”), as being prospective, she neither undertook the type of
statutory construction mandated by the Court in Lindh, nor addressed the
respondent’s vested interest in having an opportunity to make the applica-
tion. Such an assessment now is clearly required according to the Court’s
decision in Hughes. Cf. Matter of Soriano, supra.
     The Attorney General’s approach to analyzing the reach of the amend-
ment to section 212(c) of the Act has been soundly criticized. See
Goncalves v. Reno, supra, at 129 (critiquing the opinion of the Attorney
General in Soriano as misinterpreting Landgraf and “effectively [applying]
a presumption in favor of retroactive application to any restriction of relief
that could be described as discretionary,” a proposition that was rejected by
the Supreme Court in Landgraf itself).6 In addition, Congress’ amendment
of section 212(i) in the IIRIRA took place after the Board’s decision in
Matter of Soriano, supra, in which the Board originally had found that in


      5
        Although neither Lindh nor Hughes directly overruled the Attorney General’s Soriano
opinion, the Board has a responsibility to conform its interpretation to the legal analysis that
has been detailed and repeatedly reaffirmed recently by the nation’s highest court. By analo-
gy, federal courts are empowered to consider any intervening changes in controlling case law.
Sejman v. Warner-Lambert Co., Inc., 845 F.2d 66, 69 (4th Cir. 1988). Moreover, even the strict
doctrine of “law of the case” allows for the revisiting of issues where “controlling authority
has since made a contrary decision of law applicable to such issues.” Cohen v. Brown
University, 101 F.3d 155, 168 (1st Cir. 1996), cert. denied, 520 U.S. 1186 (1997); see also
Jeffries v. Wood, 114 F.3d 1484, 1489 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 522 U.S. 1008 (1997); Gillig v.
Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc., 67 F.3d 586, 590 (6th Cir. 1995); Pierce v. Cook &
Co., 518 F.2d 720 (10th Cir. 1975), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 1079 (1976).
      6
        The First Circuit found the Attorney General’s contention in support of her interpreta-
tion—that Congress expressly included a retroactivity provision to new restrictions on relief
for alien terrorists in section 413 of the AEDPA, 110 Stat. at 1269, only because they were
not discretionary—to be erroneous, as the provisions are, with one exception, discretionary.
Goncalves v. Reno, supra.

                                             579
Interim Decision #3380


the absence of an express temporal restriction making the amended version
of section 212(c) of the Act retroactive, the provision would not apply to
applications for the waiver that were filed or were pending on the date of
enactment of the AEDPA. Cf. Goncalves v. Reno, supra (noting that the
chronology of legislative events and the issuance of the Board’s decision in
Matter of Soriano, which preceded passage of the IIRIRA, indicates that
Congress should have been aware of the prevailing agency interpretation
and should have expressly mandated a retroactive application if Congress
intended the statute to be interpreted differently).
     In other words, Congress must be deemed to have been aware of the
Board’s original interpretation of section 212(c), which remained in force
on September 30, 1996, when it amended section 212(i) of the Act.
Likewise, Congress must be deemed to have enacted IIRIRA with the
knowledge that Landgraf’s “background rule”—i.e., the presumption
against retroactivity—would otherwise make its provisions prospective “in
the absence of congressional guidance.” Landgraf v. USI Film Products,
supra, at 261, 273; see also Lindh v. Murphy, 117 S. Ct. at 2064 (“Since
Landgraf was the Court’s latest word on the subject when the Act was
passed, Congress could have taken the opinion’s cautious statement about
[which type of statutes would be applied retroactively] as counseling the
wisdom of being explicit if it wanted such a provision to be applied to cases
already pending.”)
     In light of the reasonable assumption that Congress understood both the
principles of statutory construction disfavoring retroactive application of
the laws in the absence of an express statement by Congress, and the
Board’s prevailing interpretation of a comparable amendment to avoid a
retroactive application, its failure to expressly mandate that the amended
version of section 212(i) of the Act would be applicable to conduct occur-
ring, or cases pending, prior to September 30, 1996, is significant. It makes
such an application by the majority in its decision today both unreasonable
and contrary to applicable Supreme Court authority. Goncalves v. Reno,
supra. In the instant case, involving the applicability of the IIRIRA version
of section 212(i), the question is whether there is any justification for apply-
ing the amended version of section 212(i) of the Act retroactively to actions
that occurred, or proceedings and applications that were initiated, prior to
the enactment date. Cf. Lindh v. Murphy, supra. I find none.
     Moreover, in the event that the statutory language presents any question
concerning Congress’ intent with regard to the statute’s temporal reach, the
well-established principle that the retroactive application of a statute
requires an express statement of legislative intent controls. The Supreme
Court outlined a three-part approach in Landgraf v. USI Film Products,
supra, for determining the temporal reach of a statute: First, whether
Congress manifested an intent to apply a statute retroactively through
“clear, strong, and imperative” language; second, assuming that there is no

                                      580
                                                                  Interim Decision #3380


clear expression of legislative intent to apply the statute retroactively,
whether the statute would, in fact, have genuine retroactive effect, id. at
267-69, 280;7 and third, if the statute would operate retroactively, whether
there is a clear indication in the statute as a whole or in the statute’s leg-
islative history, that Congress intended the statute to apply retroactively to
past conduct, id. at 280. Consideration of each part of the Court’s approach
in Landgraf indicates that section 212(i), as amended, should not be applied
retroactively.8
     A provision, such as section 212(i), as reenacted in the IIRIRA without
any specific applicability rule assigned to it, must be read to have only a
prospective application. “[W]hen Congress wished to provide [for retroac-
tive application], it knew how to do so and did so expressly.” Touche Ross
& Co. v. Redington, 442 U.S. 560, 572 (1970); see also Custis v. United
States, 511 U.S. 485, 491 (1994); Leatherman v. Tarrant County Narcotics
Intelligence and Coordination Unit, 507 U.S. 163, 168 (1993); Bowen v.
Georgetown Univ. Hosp., 488 U.S. 204, 213-14 (1988). The Supreme Court
has stated clearly and repeatedly the “‘principle that the legal effect of con-
duct should ordinarily be assessed under the law that existed when the con-
duct took place has timeless and universal appeal.’” Landgraf v. USI Film
Products, supra, at 265 (quoting Justice Scalia’s concurring opinion in
Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. v. Bonjorno, 494 U.S. 827, 855 (1990)
(Scalia, J., concurring)); see also Lynce v. Mathis, 117 S. Ct. at 895 (noting
that “[i]n both the civil and the criminal context, the Constitution places
limits on the sovereign’s ability to use its law-making power to modify bar-
gains it has made with its subjects.” (emphasis added)). Thus, the Court held
that a presumption against retroactivity “assures that Congress itself has
affirmatively considered the potential unfairness of retroactive application
and determined that it is an acceptable price to pay for the countervailing
benefits.” Landgraf v. USI Film Products, supra, at 272-73. It thereby “allo-
cat[ed] to Congress responsibility for fundamental policy judgments con-


      7
        The Court’s decision in Hughes specifically calls into question the Attorney General’s
decision in Matter of Soriano, supra, in this respect, because it lays down rules completely
opposite from those adopted by the Attorney General in that case. Hughes Aircraft Co. v.
United States ex. rel. Schumer, 117 S. Ct. at 1876.
      8
        The Attorney General overruled the Board’s decision on the basis of a purported
“Landgraf” analysis, stating that “nothing in the language of the newly enacted statute” spec-
ifies one way or the other whether §440(d) should be applied to pending cases. Matter of
Soriano, supra, A.G. opinion at 535. Nonetheless, as subsequent federal decisions have estab-
lished, application of the statutory construction mandated under Lindh reflects that, at a min-
imum, Congress did not intend for provisions such as § 440(d), the section of AEDPA upon
which the Attorney General relied to reach her decision in Soriano, to apply to pre-enactment
convictions. See Yesil v. Reno, 973 F. Supp. 372, 379-81 (S.D.N.Y. 1997). The same holds true
for Congress’ intent with regard to section 212(i) of the Act, under which the respondent seeks
a waiver.

                                             581
Interim Decision #3380


cerning the proper temporal reach of statutes.” Id. at 273.
     Indeed, contrary to past Board precedents, according to the Supreme
Court’s decision in Lindh v. Murphy, 117 S. Ct. at 2064, “the rule of nega-
tive implication is part of the normal rules of statutory construction.”
Sandoval v. Reno, 166 F.3d at 240. According to Lindh, in light of
Congress’ silence and the principle of “expressio unius est exclusio
alterius,” we need not consider whether the statute before us is genuinely
retroactive pursuant to the standards enunciated in Landgraf and Hughes.
See Sandoval v. Reno, supra, at 240; Henderson v. INS, supra, at 129 (cit-
ing Lindh v. Murphy, 117 S. Ct. at 2068). The circuit courts of appeal and
various of the district courts that have addressed this issue concur that con-
struction of the “negative implication” created by Congress’ failure to man-
date a retroactive application reflects that, at a minimum, Congress’ silence
constitutes an indication of its express intent that the amendment to former
section 212(c) of the Act would not apply to proceedings that were initiat-
ed before the AEDPA was enacted. Sandoval v. Reno, supra, at 241-42;
Henderson v. INS, supra, at 129. Thus, in the context of retroactivity analy-
sis, congressional silence does not create an ambiguity or any other cir-
cumstances in which a prior agency interpretation is owed deference. It con-
stitutes an expression of intent as plainly as if it had affirmatively prohibit-
ed a retroactive application of the new statute.
     I conclude that although section 212(i) of the Act was modified by the
IIRIRA, Congress did not expressly mandate that the new version of sec-
tion 212(i) was to be applied retroactively. As I have stated here and in
prior separate opinions, the type of distinction made by the Attorney
General’s opinion in Soriano has been found by the federal courts to be
inappropriate. In the instant case, the application of the amended version
of section 212(i) of the Act impairs the respondent’s vested right—not
necessarily to obtain relief—but merely to apply for relief from deporta-
tion based on his own hardship. Application of the new amended waiver
provision imposes on him the new disability that precludes his advancing
any factors relevant to his own hardship in support of his waiver applica-
tion. Ultimately, it imposes on him the disability of denial of adjustment
of status based on a finding of inadmissibility, without reasonable notice
of the standards that will be applied to his application for a waiver. As
such, it is impermissibly retroactive.
     Thus, although the Ninth Circuit, in which this case arises, has not yet
addressed this question, the growing number of federal reviewing bodies
that have rejected the analysis set forth by the Attorney General in Matter
of Soriano, supra, supports my conclusion. Notwithstanding the Attorney
General’s decision in Matter of Soriano, I believe that the law requires us
to adjudicate the respondent’s application for a waiver under section
212(i) of the Act according to the terms of that section as they existed in
when the respondent acted and when he submitted his application for a

                                      582
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waiver.

          B. Proper Application of Extreme Hardship Standard
                          Under Section 212(i)

     What is equally or even more objectionable is the fact that the majori-
ty, and the concurring members, accept the application of the new extreme
hardship standard to the respondent’s spouse without actually considering
and weighing the actual factors in the record that point to the hardship the
respondent’s spouse will suffer if his waiver is denied and he is deported.
Even assuming that the majority’s imposition of the current version of sec-
tion 212(i) of the Act is correct, I have two principal objections to the
majority’s conclusions. First, I find that, in its consideration of the respon-
dent’s wife’s situation, the majority has completely ignored many of the rel-
evant factors that are authorized by our precedent decisions, and that are
required to be taken into account by the decisions of the circuit court in
which this case arises. Second, the majority distorts the record with regard
to the factors it does consider, and its failure to consider the relevant factors
cumulatively in assessing hardship constitutes an abuse of discretion.
     While the majority articulates at least some of the various factors that
must be considered, both Board and federal circuit court of appeals author-
ities require consideration of a greater breadth of factors, including the
qualifying relative’s family ties within and without the United States and
the impact of separation; the economic and other conditions in the country
to which she have to accompany her relative; the financial, emotional, cul-
tural, and political conditions in that country; her ability to raise children
and other quality of life factors in that country; as well as her age, length of
residence in this country, health, technical skills, employability, and other
factors. See, e.g., Mejia-Carrillo v. United States, 656 F.2d 520 (9th Cir.
1981) (relating to consideration of noneconomic hardships resulting from
removal); Ravancho v. INS, 658 F.2d 169 (3d Cir. 1981) (relating to con-
sideration of psychiatric information); see also Tukhowinich v. INS, 57 F.3d
869 (9th Cir. 1995) (relating to consideration of respondent’s role as sole
provider for her undocumented family here and abroad); Watkins v. INS, 63
F.3d 844 (9th Cir. 1995) (relating to consideration cumulatively of spouse’s
hardship, fear of persecution, child’s inability to master a foreign language,
and psychological factors); Salameda v. INS, 70 F.3d 447 (7th Cir. 1995)
(relating to need to consider separation from community ties); Cerillo-Perez
v. INS, 809 F.2d 1419 (9th Cir. 1987) (relating to consideration of hardship
to other than qualifying family members). In addition, it must be noted that
in a related context, the Ninth Circuit has been critical of this Board as
being overzealous in grasping at any interpretation of law or facts which
will allow it to defeat a bona fide claim for suspension of deportation.


                                      583
Interim Decision #3380


Castrejon-Garcia v. INS, 60 F.3d 1359, 1362 (9th Cir. 1995).
    The majority fails to emphasize, as it should, that all relevant factors
must be considered both individually and cumulatively. Matter of O-J-O-,
21 I&N Dec. 281 (BIA 1996); Matter of Anderson, 16 I&N Dec. 596 (BIA
1978); Matter of Riccio, 15 I&N Dec. 548 (BIA 1976); see also Gutierrez-
Centeno v. INS, 99 F.3d 1529 (9th Cir. 1996). Specifically, in Mattis v.
United States INS, 774 F.2d 965, 968 (9th Cir. 1985), the Ninth Circuit stat-
ed unequivocally:
   When the BIA denies relief as a matter of discretion, it may not exercise its discre-
   tion arbitrarily. Patel v. INS, 741 F.2d 1134, 1136 (9th Cir.1984). See also INS v.
   Bagamasbad, 429 U.S. 24, 26, 97 S. Ct. 200, 201, 50 L. Ed. 2d 190 (1976) (basis
   for the BIA’s discretionary findings must be set forth in writing). BIA discretionary
   denials must show that the BIA weighed both favorable and unfavorable factors. De
   La Luz v. INS, 713 F.2d 545, 546 (9th Cir. 1983). We have consistently required the
   BIA to state its reasons and show proper consideration of all factors when weighing
   equities and denying relief. See Ahwazi v. INS, 751 F.2d 1120, 1122-23 (9th Cir.
   1985); Ramirez-Gonzalez v. INS, 695 F.2d 1208, 1213 (9th Cir. 1983); Contreras-
   Buenfil v. INS, 712 F.2d 401, 403 (9th Cir. 1983); Ro v. INS, 670 F.2d 114, 116 (9th
   Cir. 1982); Villena v. INS, 622 F.2d 1352, 1361, n.2 (9th Cir. 1980) (en banc).

    The majority opinion does not properly consider all of the factors in the
record regarding the hardship faced by the respondent’s wife, and its opin-
ion denying the waiver does not reflect a proper consideration of all of the
factors relevant to extreme hardship in this case. Instead, the majority places
undue weight on certain factors and fails to adequately consider other rele-
vant factors. Cf. Universal Camera Corp. v. NLRB, 340 U.S. 474, 491
(1951) (requiring complete assessment of both favorable and detrimental
factors); Watkins v. INS, 63 F.3d 844, 848 (9th Cir. 1995) (holding that the
Board abuses its discretion when it does not “consider all relevant factors
before ruling”); see also Salameda v. INS, supra.
    What is more, I find that in assessing extreme hardship, the majority
gives short shrift to a number of material factors that require considera-
tion under our precedent and the controlling law of the United States
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, cited above.9 In Watkins v. INS,
supra, at 848 the Ninth Circuit made quite clear that although the Board
may choose to “interpret ‘extreme hardship’ narrowly . . . , INS v. Wang,
450 U.S. 139, 145, 101 S. Ct. 1027, 1031, 67 L. Ed. 2d 123 (1981) (per
curiam), [we must] “‘consider[] all factors relevant to the hardship deter-
mination and state[] [our] reasons for denying the requested relief,’



     9
       The Board is bound to follow the law of the Ninth Circuit, in which this case arises. See
Matter of Anselmo, 20 I&N Dec. 25, 31-32 (BIA 1989); see also NLRB v. Ashkenazy Prop.
Mgmt. Corp., 817 F.2d 74 (9th Cir. 1987).


                                             584
                                                                  Interim Decision #3380


Ramirez-Durazo v. INS, 794 F.2d 491, 498 (9th Cir. 1986).” The court
emphasized the following:

   “When the BIA distorts or disregards important aspects of the alien’s claim, denial of
   relief is arbitrary, and the BIA is considered to have abused its discretion.” Saldana v.
   INS, 762 F.2d 824, 827 (9th Cir. 1985), modified, 785 F.2d 650 (9th Cir. 1986); see
   also Jen Hung Ng, 804 F.2d at 538. “The BIA’s denial of relief can be affirmed only
   on the basis articulated in the decision, and this court cannot assume that the BIA con-
   sidered factors that it failed to mention in its decision.” Jen Hung Ng, 804 F.2d at 538;
   see also Batoon v. INS, 707 F.2d 399, 402 (9th Cir. 1983).

Watkins v. INS, supra, at 848; accord Universal Camera Corp. v. NLRB,
supra.
     In particular, I dispute the majority’s reading of the record to indicate
that the respondent’s wife never “suggested that she would suffer any par-
ticular hardship.” Matter of Cervantes, 21 I&N Dec. 3380, at 10 (BIA
1999). Moreover, I find the majority’s assessment of some of the factors it
does consider relating to the wife’s hardship to be objectionable.
Specifically, as I read the opinion, the majority dismisses the hardship that
the respondent’s wife, a naturalized citizen, might face, primarily because
she speaks Spanish and was born in Mexico, the country to which the
respondent would be deported. What kind of an evaluation is that? What
does that say about the majority’s view of United States citizenship, albeit
citizenship acquired through naturalization?
     Are we to assume that the majority gives such little value to the mean-
ing of citizenship, or supposes that naturalization acquired by a spouse of
Mexican origin is of such little import that no hardship would be experi-
enced by the respondent’s wife were she forced to accompany her husband
to Mexico or face separation from him? In fact, the transcript reflects that
the respondent’s spouse, who was 21 at the time of the hearing before the
Immigration Judge, came to the United States as a baby and has never lived
in Mexico.
     Furthermore, although it is barely evident from reading the majority
opinion, the record also reflects quite clearly that the respondent’s wife has
extremely close family ties with her parents, and that she and her husband
live together as a family with her parents and her sisters. The respondent’s
wife also clarified that her mother is a United States citizen by birth, her
father a resident alien, and that her two sisters were born in the United
States. The majority’s contention that the “majority of her family is origi-
nally from Mexico,” is absolutely specious. Matter of Cervantes, supra, at
10. The respondent has lived in this country with her parents and her sisters
and her extended family for almost her entire life. No matter where her
father or members of her extended family were originally from, this family
has lived in a close-knit relationship in the United States for years. That the
respondent’s grandparents or her father was born in Mexico is meaningless

                                             585
Interim Decision #3380


to an assessment of the isolation and lack of family support she will have
today, if she must accompany her husband to Mexico.
     At the same time, her relationship with her husband dates back to 1994,
when she met him at a school dance. They were married in September 1995.
The majority’s belittling of the respondent’s relationship with her husband
because she was aware he was subject to deportation proceedings when
they were married says nothing about the quality of their relationship, or the
hardship she would experience if forced to choose between her husband and
the rest of her family. Even assuming his immigration status at the time of
their marriage is of some effect in the overall discretionary equation, the
fact that the respondent was deportable does not undermine his wife’s
expectations at the time they were wed. At the time they married, the
respondent’s wife reasonably may have assumed that her husband would be
able to apply for and obtain both adjustment of status and a waiver under
then-existing section 212(i) of the Act, which, according to both Matter of
Da Silva, 17 I&N Dec. 288 (Comm’r 1979), and Matter of Alonzo, 17 I&N
Dec. 292 (Comm’r 1979), would have been liberally construed.
     Moreover, other precedent decisions cannot be dismissed as eagerly as
the majority may wish. Such decisions, which we not only followed histor-
ically, but which we issued directly, emphasize the often determinative
weight given to family ties and, particularly, to marriage to a United States
citizen. For example, reiterating the recognition that “[i]t is difficult and
probably inadvisable to set up restrictive guide lines for the exercise of dis-
cretion,” because “[p]roblems which may arise in applications for adjust-
ment must of necessity be resolved on an individual basis,” the Board held
in Matter of Arai, 13 I&N Dec. 494, 495-96 (BIA 1970):
   Where adverse factors are present in a given application, it may be necessary for the
   applicant to offset these by a showing of unusual or even outstanding equities.
   Generally, favorable factors such as family ties, hardship, length of residence in the
   United States, etc., will be considered as countervailing factors meriting favorable
   exercise of administrative discretion.

     Our decisions in this regard not only should influence the weight given
to the factors presented in the case before us today, but also may be pre-
sumed to have contributed to the respondent’s wife’s expectations when she
married her husband. It cannot be denied that in Matter of Ibrahim, 18 I&N
Dec. 55 (BIA 1981),10 the Board clarified and reaffirmed its decision in
Matter of Cavazos, 17 I&N Dec. 215 (BIA 1980), as standing for the rule


      10
         The Board’s limitation of the Cavazos rule in Matter of Ibrahim, supra, to cases involv-
ing immediate relatives does not detract from a proper consideration of the respondent’s waiv-
er application, as the respondent’s wife is a United States citizen, resulting in his classifica-
tion as an immediate relative.

                                              586
                                                       Interim Decision #3380


that, in the absence of other adverse factors, an application for adjustment
of status as an immediate relative should generally be granted in the exer-
cise of discretion notwithstanding the fact that the applicant entered the
United States as a nonimmigrant with a preconceived intention to remain.
In addition, subsequent Board decisions found the fact of marriage and fam-
ily relationships to override the adverse factor of a criminal conviction. See,
e.g., Matter of Battista, 19 I&N Dec. 484 (BIA 1987) (emphasizing that an
adjustment application filed by an alien whose immediate relative petition
was approved prior to his entry as a nonimmigrant, and who had been con-
victed of grand theft, requires consideration of all factors, including his sig-
nificant family ties).
     The respondent’s wife testified that if necessary she would give up her
family to accompany her husband, because “I swear that I was gonna stay
with him until the death will separate us,” but indicated immediately there-
after that it would be a hard choice, because “it’s a hard situation.” She
went on to state that she was extremely close emotionally with her family,
especially with her mother. She stated further that her grandparents, aunts,
and cousins live in a small town 8 minutes away from her family’s home
where she resides. She testified that were she forced to accompany her hus-
band to Mexico, she would not have the money to travel back and forth to
visit her family. She stated further that her family, being as large as it is,
would not be able to visit her often. She explained that her parents “don’t
even go to Mexico either because it’s hard.”
     Furthermore, the respondent’s wife testified that she would have diffi-
culty finding employment, and the respondent’s testimony indicates that he
and his wife have very little money. The record reflects that the respondent’s
wife is not now employed but is attending a technical training course
involving computers on a part-time basis. Rather than treat the respondent’s
and his wife’s economic situation as a factor contributing to extreme hard-
ship, the majority turns their financial difficulties as a factor that minimizes
the wife’s hardship were her husband to be denied the waiver and deported.
According to the majority, since the respondent and his wife have little
money here in the United States and the respondent’s wife is unemployed,
they might just as well be poverty-stricken in Mexico. Even were this a rea-
sonable analysis of the financial factors involved, it utterly ignores the fact
that here in the United States the respondent and his wife live with and can
call on the support of the respondent’s wife’s family.
     As emphasized in Watkins v. INS, supra, at 850, we are required to
“‘consider all relevant factors cumulatively in deciding whether extreme
hardship has been established.’ Batoon, 707 F.2d at 401 (emphasis added);
see also Dragon v. INS, 748 F.2d 1304, 1306 (9th Cir. 1984); Santana-
Figueroa v. INS, 644 F.2d 1354, 1357 (9th Cir. 1981).” The court stressed
that “the BIA correctly stated the law, but failed to apply it correctly. It
found that the professional and social changes petitioner would face . . . .

                                      587
Interim Decision #3380


would not rise to the level of extreme hardship. It then found separately that
the birth of petitioner’s second son ‘standing alone does not change our
finding.’ But the standard is not whether each factor, standing alone, con-
stitutes extreme hardship, but whether the cumulative effect of all factors
constitutes extreme hardship.” Watkins v. INS, supra, at 850 (emphasis
added).
     Such a cumulative evaluation is glaringly absent from the majority
opinion. Instead the majority decision takes the fact of the respondent’s
wife’s marriage and her family ties, minimizes them, and rejects them as an
indicia of extreme hardship, and then takes the respondent’s wife’s financial
situation and minimizes and rejects it as a significant hardship factor. Cf.
Arrozal v. INS, 159 F.3d 429, 433 (9th Cir. 1998). Nowhere does the major-
ity opinion cumulatively consider these and other factors apparent in the
record-such as the length of the wife’s residence in the United States, her
citizenship status and what giving that up in the sense of leaving the United
States would mean, and her desire to have a family with her husband-and
weigh them together.
     This is precisely the type of erroneous and arbitrary evaluation that vio-
lates the respondent’s due process rights to a fair hearing and a reasoned
decision with regard to his waiver application. Universal Camera Corp. v.
NLRB, supra. Consequently, in my view, no matter what statutory limitation
may exist with respect to judicial review of discretionary decisions made by
the Attorney General, the abuse of discretion present in the majority opin-
ion in this case constitutes a substantive deprivation of the respondent’s due
process right to make an application for a waiver and have it fairly and
meaningfully considered and adjudicated. See Kalaw v. INS, 133 F.3d 1147,
1153 (9th Cir. 1997); see also Arrozal v. INS, supra (finding jurisdiction to
hear a motion to reopen).


                             IV. CONCLUSION

     I do not believe the respondent is inadmissible under section
212(a)(6)(C)(i) of the Act. Even if he is inadmissible, I do not believe that
the current version of the section 212(i) waiver provision applies to his case,
and I find such an application to have an impermissibly retroactive effect,
holding the respondent to a standard that is not the one that existed (a) at
the time he was convicted, (b) when he was charged with being deportable,
or (c) when he made his adjustment and waiver application. However, even
assuming he must satisfy the current terms of section 212(i) of the Act,
which require that he establish that his wife, who is his qualifying relative,
will suffer extreme hardship, I believe he has done so. I conclude that the
respondent has established that his wife would suffer extreme hardship
were she required either to accompany him to Mexico and leave her fami-

                                     588
                                                     Interim Decision #3380


ly, or to separate from him and remain with her family in her adopted coun-
try where she has lived since she was an infant. I conclude further that the
favorable factors presented in this case in terms of the respondent’s marital
relationship and the couple’s ties to an extensive family network in this
country, together with the hardship his wife would suffer, warrant granting
his application for adjustment of status and a waiver under section 212(i) of
the Act in the exercise of discretion.




                                    589