American Baptist Churches v. Thornburgh

• Decision Date: 31 January 1991
• Docket Number: Civ. No. C-85-3255-RFP.
• Citation: 760 F. Supp. 796
• Parties: AMERICAN BAPTIST CHURCHES, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Richard THORNBURGH, et al., Defendants.
• Court: U.S. District Court — Northern District of California

760 F. Supp. 796

AMERICAN BAPTIST CHURCHES, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Richard THORNBURGH, et al., Defendants.

Civ. No. C-85-3255-RFP.

United States District Court, N.D. California.

January 31, 1991.

Marc Van Der Hout, Deborah Smith, Nat. Lawyers Guild, James J. Garrett, Michael L. Zigler, Lori A. Schechter, Darryl Hamm, Morrison & Foerster, San Francisco, Cal., Lucas Guttentag, American Civ. Liberties Union, Immigrants' Rights Project, Morton Stavis, Frank E. Deale, Ellen Yaroshefsky, Center for Constitutional Rights, New York City (Carolyn P. Blum, University of California, Asylum Appeals Clinic, Boalt Hall School of Law, Berkeley, Cal., of counsel), for plaintiffs.

William T. McGiven, Jr., U.S. Atty., Stephen L. Schirle, Chief, Civ. Div., Mary Beth Uitti, Asst. U.S. Atty., San Francisco, Cal., Stuart M. Gerson, Asst. Atty. Gen., Robert L. Bombaugh, Director, Francesco Isgro, Lisa Dornell, Attys., Office of Immigration

Litigation, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civ. Div., Washington, D.C., for defendants.

STIPULATED ORDER APPROVING CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT

PECKHAM, District Judge.

On December 19, 1990, this Court provisionally approved the Stipulated Settlement Agreement submitted by the parties. Published notice of the pendency of the Settlement Agreement and of the fairness hearing was given to class members as provided in the Order Preliminarily Approving Stipulated Settlement Agreement by counsel for the plaintiffs in the manner set forth in the Declaration of Deborah Smith, filed on January 29, 1991. On January 31, 1991, the Court held a fairness hearing to consider objections to the proposed Settlement Agreement.

The Court having considered the one objection received and having made an independent determination that the Settlement Agreement is a fair, adequate and reasonable settlement of this action, it is hereby

ORDERED that the Settlement Agreement attached hereto is approved; and it is further

ORDERED that the instant action is dismissed with prejudice pursuant to the terms of the Settlement Agreement except insofar as the Court retains continuing jurisdiction as provided for in Paragraph 33 of the said Agreement; and it is further

ORDERED that the defendants, in making the disbursements of funds referred to in Paragraphs 5 and 41 of the said Agreement, will make the payments to Marc Van Der Hout as trustee and it is further

ORDERED that costs and fees shall be as set forth in Paragraph 41 of the Settlement Agreement.

APPENDIX

STIPULATED SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT

                                              TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                                                                     Page
                 1. AMENDMENT OF CLASS .............................................  799
                 2. CLASS MEMBERS ELIGIBLE FOR DE NOVO ASYLUM ADJUDICATION .........  799
                    a. SALVADORANS WHO: ............................................  799
                    b. GUATEMALANS WHO: ............................................  800
                 3. NOTICE OF RIGHTS HEREUNDER .....................................  800
                    a. NOTICE BY PUBLICATION .......................................  800
                    b. NOTICE BY MAIL ..............................................  800
                       1. CLASS MEMBERS IN EOIR PROCEEDINGS ........................  800
                       2. CLASS MEMBERS WITH CASES PENDING IN FEDERAL
                           COURT ...................................................  800
                       3. CLASS MEMBERS NOT IN PROCEEDINGS .........................  800
                    c. SALVADORAN CLASS MEMBERS ....................................  800
                       1. APPLICANTS FOR TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS ................  800
                       2. APPLICANTS GRANTED TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS
                           WHO DO NOT RE-REGISTER ..................................  801
                       3. APPLICANTS WHO DO NOT APPLY FOR TEMPORARY PROTECTED
                           STATUS ..................................................  801
                    d. CLASS MEMBERS DETAINED UNDER INS AUTHORITY ..................  801
                 4. CONTENTS OF NOTICES ............................................  801
                 5. FUNDING FOR PUBLIC NOTICE ......................................  801
                 6. TIME TO RESPOND TO MAILED NOTICE ...............................  802
                 7. TIME FOR FILING NEW ASYLUM APPLICATION .........................  802
                 8. AVAILABILITY OF NOTICES AT INS OFFICES .........................  802
                 9. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH NOTICE AND FILING REQUIREMENT ...........  802
                10. COMMENCEMENT OF DE NOVO ADJUDICATION ...........................  802
                11. SCHEDULING OF INTERVIEWS .......................................  803
                12. LEGAL ASSISTANCE ...............................................  803
                13. CONTINUANCE OF INTERVIEW .......................................  803
                

                14. INSTRUCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO REVIEW OF PRIOR APPLICATIONS ......  803
                15. PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT AFTER INTERVIEW .........................  803
                16. ADDITIONAL REVIEW PROCEDURES ...................................  804
                17. DETENTION OF CLASS MEMBERS ELIGIBLE FOR RELIEF .................  804
                18. EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION .......................................  804
                    a. SCOPE .......................................................  805
                    b. FILING OF A COMPLETE ASYLUM APPLICATION .....................  805
                    c. TIMELY ADJUDICATIONS ........................................  805
                    d. ELIGIBILITY AND FEES ........................................  805
                    e. WORK AUTHORIZATION AFTER DENIAL .............................  805
                19. STAY OF DEPORTATION AND DEFERRAL OF EXCLUSION AND DEPORTATION
                     CASES PENDING NEW ADJUDICATION ................................  805
                    a. PENDING ASYLUM OFFICER DETERMINATION ........................  805
                       1. ADMINISTRATIVE CLOSING OF CASES PENDING BEFORE
                           EOIR ....................................................  805
                       2. CASES PENDING BEFORE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ................  806
                       3. CASES PENDING IN THE FEDERAL COURTS ......................  806
                       4. CASES NOT STAYED .........................................  806
                    b. STAY PENDING JUDICIAL REVIEW ................................  806
                20. RESUMPTION OF CASES IF ASYLUM IS DENIED ........................  806
                    a. CASES PENDING BEFORE IMMIGRATION JUDGES .....................  806
                    b. CASES PENDING BEFORE THE BIA ................................  807
                    c. CASES PENDING IN THE FEDERAL COURTS .........................  807
                21. CLASS MEMBERS WITH FINAL ORDERS ................................  807
                22. COMMENTS OF THE BUREAU OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN
                     AFFAIRS TO THE ASYLUM OFFICER .................................  807
                23. REVIEW OF GLOSSARIES ...........................................  807
                24. CENTRALIZED INFORMATION CENTER .................................  807
                25. INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ........................................  807
                26. OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS TRAINING SESSION TO BE HELD FOR
                     THE BHRHA .....................................................  808
                27. OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS TRAINING SESSION FOR NEW ASYLUM
                     OFFICERS ......................................................  808
                28. OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS IMMIGRATION JUDGES ......................  808
                29. GAO MONITORING .................................................  808
                30. PLAINTIFFS' MONITORING .........................................  808
                31. TOLLING PROVISION ..............................................  809
                32. REPRESENTATION AND WARRANTY ....................................  809
                33. RETENTION OF JURISDICTION ......................................  809
                34. EXERCISE OF JURISDICTION .......................................  809
                35. CLAIMS BY INDIVIDUAL CLASS MEMBERS .............................  809
                36. DISPUTE RESOLUTION .............................................  810
                    a. NOTICE OF CLAIMED VIOLATION .................................  810
                    b. RESPONSE OF ADVERSE PARTY ...................................  810
                    c. NEGOTIATION .................................................  810
                    d. DEPORTATION .................................................  810
                    e. DETENTION ...................................................  810
                37. TERMINATION ....................................................  810
                38. DISMISSAL ......................................................  810
                39. RELEASE FROM OBLIGATIONS UNDERTAKEN PURSUANT TO SIGNING
                     OF AGREEMENT BY THE PARTIES ...................................  811
                40. REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING AGREEMENT ............................  811
                41. PAYMENT OF ATTORNEYS' FEES AND COSTS ...........................  811
                42. NOTICES ........................................................  811
                

WHEREAS, Plaintiffs, many Salvadoran and Guatemalan citizens in the United States, have filed this action against Defendants, Richard L. Thornburgh, on behalf of the United States Department of Justice, Gene McNary, on behalf of the Immigration and Naturalization Service ("INS"), and James A. Baker, III, on behalf of the United States Department of State, raising, among other issues, systemic challenges to the processing of asylum claims filed by Salvadorans and Guatemalans pursuant to the Refugee Act of 1980 and the regulations promulgated thereunder; and

WHEREAS, the system of asylum processing has been significantly changed by regulations effective October 1, 1990; and

WHEREAS, under the new asylum regulations as well as the old:

foreign policy and border enforcement considerations are not relevant to the determination of whether an applicant for asylum has a well-founded fear of persecution;

the fact that an individual is from a country whose government the United States supports or with which it has favorable relations is not relevant to the determination of whether an applicant for asylum has a well-founded fear of persecution;

whether or not the United States Government agrees with the political or ideological beliefs of the individual is not relevant to the determination of whether an applicant for asylum has a well-founded fear of persecution;

the same standard for

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