Ocon-Perez v. Immigration and Naturalization Service

Decision Date08 February 1977
Docket NumberP,OCON-PERE,No. 76-1866,76-1866
Citation550 F.2d 1153
PartiesLeoneletitioner, v. IMMIGRATION & NATURALIZATION SERVICE, Respondent.
CourtU.S. Court of Appeals — Ninth Circuit
OPINION

Before CHAMBERS and CHOY, Circuit Judges, and BELLONI, * District Judge.

PER CURIAM:

At the hearing before the Immigration Judge of the order to show cause why petitioner should not be deported for his having been convicted of two burglaries in state courts, he admitted the convictions. The Immigration Judge held petitioner to be deportable, and his appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals was dismissed. We affirm.

Petitioner's contention before the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) that the state court convictions were legally infirm was addressed to the wrong forum. As an administrative agency, the INS has no power to adjudicate the validity of state convictions underlying deportation proceedings. Aguilera-Enriquez v. INS, 516 F.2d 565, 570 (6th Cir. 1975), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 1050, 96 S.Ct. 776, 46 L.Ed.2d 638 (1976). Since the convictions were final there were no appeals taken from them there was an adequate basis for the order of deportation. Id.; Marino v. INS, 537 F.2d 686, 691-92 (2d Cir. 1976).

The argument that, because the INS began the deportation proceedings two months after petitioner's last conviction, he was not afforded adequate time to seek expungement of his state convictions and thereby was denied equal protection, is unsupported except for the bare conclusions that the proceedings were "selective" and "accelerated." Moreover, expungement proceedings, even if successful, would not aid petitioner since the underlying convictions would retain their vitality for deportation purposes. Garcia-Gonzales v. INS, 344 F.2d 804 (9th Cir. 1965); Brownrigg v. INS, 356 F.2d 877 (9th Cir. 1966); de la Cruz-Martinez v. INS, 404 F.2d 1198 (9th Cir. 1968).

Finally, petitioner's Eighth Amendment contention is foreclosed by decisions of this court, the latest of which is Le Tourneur v. INS, 538 F.2d 1368 (9th Cir. 1976), holding that "deportation is not cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment even though the penalty may be severe." 538 F.2d at 1370.

AFFIRMED.

* The Honorable Robert C. Belloni, United States District Judge for the District of Oregon,...

To continue reading

Request your trial
26 cases
  • Stewart, In re
    • United States
    • Vermont Supreme Court
    • November 3, 1981
    ...violation of Gideon rule is subject to collateral attack). A state conviction subjects an alien to deportation. See Ocon-Perez v. INS, 550 F.2d 1153, 1154 (9th Cir. 1977). As in this case, a record of convictions may aggravate sentencing, see 13 V.S.A. § 11, or deny an individual probation ......
  • U.S. v. Bergeman
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Ninth Circuit
    • January 31, 1979
    ...convictions are still valid and may be used as a basis for deportation under 8 U.S.C.A. § 1251. See Ocon-Perez v. Immigration and Naturalization Service, 550 F.2d 1153, 1154 (9th Cir. 1977); Tsimbidy-Rochu v. Immigration and Naturalization Service, 414 F.2d 797, 798 (9th Cir. 1969); De la C......
  • In re Luviano-Rodriguez
    • United States
    • U.S. DOJ Board of Immigration Appeals
    • February 29, 1996
    ...moral turpitude. See Kelly v. INS, supra; Garcia-Gonzales v. INS, supra. This holding was subsequently reiterated in Ocon-Perez v. INS, 550 F.2d 1153 (9th Cir. 1977), where the court stated that the alien's convictions for crimes involving moral turpitude would retain their vitality for dep......
  • Brown v. I.N.S.
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — District of Columbia Circuit
    • October 25, 1985
    ...subject to collateral attack in deportation proceedings. See, e.g., Zinnanti v. INS, 651 F.2d 420 (5th Cir.1981); Ocon-Perez v. INS, 550 F.2d 1153 (9th Cir.1977). Any federal mechanism for such an attack must lie, if at all, in federal habeas corpus. 28 U.S.C. Sec. 2254 (1982). As if more w......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT