MARTINEZ ESPINOZA, 25 I&N Dec. 118 (BIA 2009)

Cite as 25 I&N Dec. 118 (BIA 2009) Interim Decision #3661
118
Matter of Lael MARTINEZ ESPINOZA, Respondent
File A073 829 129 – Bloomington, Minnesota
Decided November 4, 2009
U.S. Department of Justice
Executive Office for Immigration Review
Board of Immigration Appeals
(1) An alien may be rendered inadmissible under section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) (2006), on the basis
of a conviction for possession or use of drug paraphernalia.
(2) An alien who is inadmissible under section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) of the Act based
on a drug paraphernalia offense may qualify for a waiver of inadmissibility under section
212(h) of the Act if that offense “relates to a single offense of simple possession
of 30 grams or less of marijuana.”
FOR RESPONDENT: Selena Britzius-Negash, Esquire, St. Paul, Minnesota
FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Darrin Hetfield, Assistant Chief
Counsel
BEFORE: Board Panel: FILPPU, PAULEY, and GREER, Board Members.
PAULEY, Board Member:
This case requires us to decide how drug paraphernalia offenses should
be treated under the inadmissibility provisions of the immigration law.
We hold that a conviction for possessing or using drug paraphernalia can
render an alien inadmissible, but that such inadmissibility may be waived
in appropriate cases under section 212(h) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1182(h) (2006). As a result, we will remand the case for
further proceedings.
I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
The respondent, a native and citizen of Mexico, concedes that
he is removable under section 212(a)(6)(A)(i) of the Act by virtue of his
unlawful presence in the United States. As relief from removal, he seeks
adjustment of status under section 245(i) of the Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1255(i) (2006),
a form of relief that can be granted only to an alien who demonstrates, amongCite as 25 I&N Dec. 118 (BIA 2009) Interim Decision #3661
1 The respondent is also inadmissible under section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) of the Act because
he has two convictions for “crimes involving moral turpitude,” but there is no dispute that
section 212(h) operates to waive this ground of inadmissibility.
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other things, that he is “admissible to the United States for permanent
residence.” Section 245(i)(2)(A) of the Act. In a decision dated March 20,
2007, the Immigration Judge found that the respondent could not satisfy this
admissibility requirement because he has a 2006 Minnesota conviction for
possessing drug paraphernalia that makes him inadmissible under section
212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) of the Act. Furthermore, the Immigration Judge determined
that the respondent’s inadmissibility cannot be waived under section 212(h)
of the Act because his offense did not “relate[] to a single offense of simple
possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana,” the only type of drug crime for
which such a waiver is available.1
The respondent has appealed.
II. ANALYSIS
A. Inadmissibility Under Section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) of the Act
The Immigration Judge found that the respondent’s drug paraphernalia
conviction makes him inadmissible under section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) of the
Act, which states that “any alien convicted of . . . a violation of . . . any law
or regulation of a State, the United States, or a foreign country relating
to a controlled substance (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled
Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802)), is inadmissible.” We agree with that
determination, which is in keeping with decisions of the United States Courts
of Appeals for the Seventh and Ninth Circuits. Estrada v. Holder, 560 F.3d
1039, 1042 (9th Cir. 2009); Escobar Barraza v. Mukasey, 519 F.3d 388,
389-90 (7th Cir. 2008); Luu-Le v. INS, 224 F.3d 911, 914-16 (9th Cir. 2000).
The respondent was convicted under section 152.092 of the Minnesota
Statutes, which provides that “[i]t is unlawful for any person knowingly
or intentionally to use or to possess drug paraphernalia.” The term “drug
paraphernalia” is defined in section 152.01(18) of the Minnesota Statutes
as follows:
Drug paraphernalia. (a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b), “drug
paraphernalia” means all equipment, products, and materials of any kind, except
those items used in conjunction with permitted uses of controlled substances under
this chapter or the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, which are knowingly
or intentionally used primarily in (1) manufacturing a controlled substance,
(2) injecting, ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing into the human body
a controlled substance, (3) testing the strength, effectiveness, or purity of a controlled
substance, or (4) enhancing the effect of a controlled substance.Cite as 25 I&N Dec. 118 (BIA 2009) Interim Decision #3661
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(b) “Drug paraphernalia” does not include the possession, manufacture, delivery,
or sale of hypodermic needles or syringes in accordance with section 151.40,
subdivision 2.
The respondent was convicted after pleading guilty to a complaint charging
him with possessing a marijuana pipe.
The respondent argues that the statutes under which he was convicted
do not “relat[e] to a controlled substance” because they prohibit the possession
of “implements” rather than “controlled substances.” We disagree. The
phrase “relating to a controlled substance” is not defined in the Act, but the
“relating to” concept has a broad ordinary meaning, namely, “‘to stand in some
relation; to have bearing or concern; to pertain; refer; to bring into association
with or connection with.’” Morales v. Trans World Airlines Inc., 504 U.S.
374, 383 (1992) (quoting Blacks Law Dictionary 1158 (5th ed. 1979)).
We conclude that a law prohibiting the possession of an item intentionally
used for manufacturing, using, testing, or enhancing the effect
of a controlled substance necessarily pertains to a controlled substance.
Possessing “a pipe for smoking marijuana is a crime within the scope
of [section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II)] because drug paraphernalia relates to the drug
with which it is used.” Escobar Barraza v. Mukasey, 519 F.3d at 391.
The respondent also argues that because the Act contains a number
of waiver provisions that are designed to ameliorate the immigration
consequences of minor marijuana possession convictions, it would violate
the spirit and purpose of the law to find him inadmissible on the basis
of a “minor” conviction for possessing a marijuana pipe. On the contrary, the
fact that Congress enacted special waiver provisions for first-time marijuana
possession convictions presupposes that such convictions do, in fact, make
aliens inadmissible, unless waived. The language, structure, and purpose
of the Act amply support the view that Congress intended aliens to be rendered
inadmissible even for relatively “minor” marijuana convictions.
The respondent’s next argument is that his conviction is “overbroad”
because Minnesota’s definition of drug paraphernalia in section 152.01(18)(a)
covers items that are used “primarily” for manufacturing, using, testing,
or enhancing controlled substances. In the respondent’s view, the term
“primarily” connotes that a person may be convicted of possessing drug
paraphernalia even if he did not intend the object to be used for drug-related
purposes. However, that construction of the law is foreclosed by Minnesota
case law holding that “[i]tems found to have the physical characteristics
necessary to meet the statutory definition of drug paraphernalia must also
be intended for use as drug paraphernalia, that is, with controlled substances.”Cite as 25 I&N Dec. 118 (BIA 2009) Interim Decision #3661
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City of St. Paul v. Various Items of Drug Paraphernalia, 474 N.W.2d 413, 416
(Minn. Ct. App. 1991).
The respondent also asserts that a drug paraphernalia conviction
cannot support a finding of inadmissibility unless the paraphernalia was tied
to a specific, federally controlled substance. See Ruiz-Vidal v. Gonzales, 473
F.3d 1072 (9th Cir. 2007); Matter of Paulus, 11 I&N Dec. 274 (BIA 1965).
Because the respondent pled guilty to possessing a marijuana pipe, however,
this argument has little relevance for his own case. See 21 U.S.C. § 812(c),
Sch. I(c)(10) (2006) (listing marijuana as a federally controlled substance).
In any event, the argument lacks merit for two reasons.
First, in Paulus and Ruiz-Vidal the Government bore the burden
of proving that an alien was deportable because of a controlled substance
violation. But here the sole question is whether the respondent can meet his
burden of proving eligibility for adjustment of status. Section 291 of the Act,
8 U.S.C. § 1361 (2006); see also Matter of Rainford, 20 I&N Dec. 598, 599
(BIA 1992) (“The burden of proving eligibility for the privilege of adjustment
of status is upon the alien.”). Under the regulations, moreover, “[i]f the
evidence indicates that one or more of the grounds for mandatory denial of the
application for relief may apply, the alien shall have the burden of proving
by a preponderance of the evidence that such grounds do not apply.” 8 C.F.R.
§ 1240.8(d) (2009). Inadmissibility to the United States is a “ground for
mandatory denial” of adjustment of status, and the respondent’s drug
paraphernalia conviction raises a legitimate question as to whether that ground
for mandatory denial “may apply” in his case. Id. Thus, the respondent
bears the burden to resolve any issue that might arise in his case by virtue
of an asymmetry between the Federal and State controlled substance
schedules.
Second, we have long drawn a distinction between crimes involving the
possession or distribution of a particular drug and those involving other
conduct associated with the drug trade in general. Thus, the requirement
of a correspondence between the Federal and State controlled substance
schedules, embraced by Matter of Paulus, 11 I&N Dec. 274, for cases
involving the possession of particular substances, has never been extended
to other contexts by the Board. For example, in Matter of Martinez-Gomez,
14 I&N Dec. 104, 105 (BIA 1972), we held that an alien’s California
conviction for opening or maintaining a place for the purpose of unlawfully
selling, giving away, or using any narcotic was a violation of a law relating
to illicit traffic in narcotic drugs under former section 241(a)(11) of the Act,
8 U.S.C. § 1251(a)(11) (1970), even though the California statute required
no showing that only Federal narcotic drugs were sold or used in the place
maintained, because the “primary purpose” of the law was “to eliminate
or control” traffic in narcotics.Cite as 25 I&N Dec. 118 (BIA 2009) Interim Decision #3661
2 Federal law makes it a felony for any person to “(1) sell or offer for sale drug
paraphernalia; (2) to use the mails or any other facility of interstate commerce to transport
drug paraphernalia; or (3) to import or export drug paraphernalia.” 21 U.S.C. § 863(a)
(2006). However, the simple possession and use of drug paraphernalia is not federally
proscribed.
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The common-sense approach of Matter of Martinez-Gomez accords with the
broad “relating to” language of current law and has largely been embraced
by the courts. For example, the Ninth Circuit held that an alien was deportable
based on his Arizona conviction for possessing drug paraphernalia, even
though Arizona’s definition of a “drug” did not “map perfectly” with the
Federal controlled substance definition, because the Arizona statute was
“plainly intended to criminalize behavior involving the production or use
of drugs—at least some of which are also covered by the federal schedules
of controlled substances.” Luu-Le v. INS, 224 F.3d at 915. Similarly, the
Seventh Circuit has held that an Illinois conviction for the knowing
distribution of a “look-alike” controlled substance was a violation of a State
law “relating to a controlled substance,” even though “look-alike” substances
are not listed on the Federal controlled substance schedules. Desai
v. Mukasey, 520 F.3d 762, 764-65 (7th Cir. 2008); see also Matter of T-C-,
7 I&N Dec. 100, 102 (BIA 1956) (holding that an alien was deportable under
former section 241(a)(11) based on his California conviction for selling
a liquid, substance, or material in lieu of a narcotic drug, after he had agreed,
offered, or consented to sell a narcotic).
The respondent’s last argument is that possessing drug paraphernalia
cannot make him inadmissible because no Federal law forbids such conduct.2
However, section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) of the Act does not require that a State
offense be punishable under Federal law in order to support a charge
of inadmissibility. Section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) does contain the parenthetical
phrase “as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C.
802),” but this phrase modifies only its immediate antecedent (i.e., “controlled
substance”), not the whole text of the section. See Escobar Barraza
v. Mukasey, 519 F.3d at 390 (holding that “[t]he only plausible understanding
of [section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II)] is that ‘as defined in [21 U.S.C. 802]’ modifies
‘controlled substance’ and nothing else”).
In conclusion, the respondent’s conviction for possessing drug paraphernalia
makes him inadmissible under section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) of the Act.
As an inadmissible alien, the respondent is ineligible for adjustment of status
unless a waiver of inadmissibility is granted. The only waiver that is arguably
available to the respondent is that set forth at section 212(h) of the Act.Cite as 25 I&N Dec. 118 (BIA 2009) Interim Decision #3661
3
We interpret section 212(h), which waives the “application of . . . [section
212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II)],” to mean that it is the ground of inadmissibility—rather than the offense
or the conviction—whose application may be waived. Cf. Matter of Balderas, 20 I&N Dec.
389, 391 (BIA 1991) (observing in the context of a section 212(c) waiver that “a grant of . . .
relief ‘waives’ the finding of excludability or deportability rather than the basis of the
excludability itself”).
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B. Eligibility for a Section 212(h) Waiver
In pertinent part, section 212(h) provides that “[t]he Attorney General may,
in his discretion, waive the application of . . . [section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II)]
insofar as it relates to a single offense of simple possession of 30 grams
or less of marijuana.”3
The Board has not construed this sentence in any
precedent decision, but in some of our unpublished decisions we have
interpreted it as authorizing a waiver only if the applicant is inadmissible for
“a single offense of simple possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana.”
Upon further consideration, we conclude that such an interpretation is too
narrow.
Section 212(h) does not require an applicant to show that he was convicted
of a single marijuana possession offense, or even that he committed such
an offense; instead, it requires the applicant to show that his inadmissibility
“relates to” such an offense. As in section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II), the “relates to”
phrase employed in section 212(h) expresses a legislative judgment that
an alien’s inadmissibility need only stand in some natural relation to the
specific offense that is its object of reference.
Viewed in this light, section 212(h) neither categorically excludes nor
clearly encompasses all drug paraphernalia offenses. The statute does not
clearly exclude all such offenses because the possession of drug paraphernalia
can sometimes be a mere adjunct to the simple possession of a small
amount of marijuana for personal use. At the same time, “drug paraphernalia”
can also denote syringes, drug scales, volatile chemicals and equipment used
in methamphetamine labs, kits for extracting cocaine base, and a host of other
devices that bear no relationship to simple marijuana possession. Thus, while
the language of section 212(h) likely encompasses some offenses involving
possession of drug paraphernalia, it does not encompass all such offenses.
Because the scope of section 212(h) is uncertain as it relates to drug
paraphernalia offenses, we must resolve the uncertainty in a reasonable
manner. Negusie v. Holder, 129 S. Ct. 1159, 1163-64 (2009).
As noted, section 212(h) requires an applicant to demonstrate that his
inadmissibility relates to a certain kind of marijuana possession “offense,”
namely, a single offense of simple possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana.
The Supreme Court has observed that “words such as . . . ‘offense’ . . .Cite as 25 I&N Dec. 118 (BIA 2009) Interim Decision #3661
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sometimes refer to a generic crime . . . and sometimes refer to the specific acts
in which an offender engaged on a specific occasion.” Nijhawan v. Holder,
129 S. Ct. 2294, 2298 (2009). How the term “offense” is used in section
212(h) is important because it affects the evidence that an Immigration Judge
can consult when seeking to connect that term to a particular alien’s conduct.
If the word “offense” denotes a generic crime, then its correspondence to the
alien’s conduct must be established “categorically,” by reference to the
elements of the crime only. Id. at 2298-99. Yet if the term refers to the alien’s
specific acts on a particular occasion, then it invites a broader inquiry into his
conduct. Id.
We conclude that section 212(h) employs the term “offense” in the latter
sense, to refer to the specific unlawful acts that made the alien inadmissible,
rather than to any generic crime. Our main reason for drawing this conclusion
is that the “offense” in question is defined so narrowly, by reference
to a specific type of conduct (simple possession) committed on a specific
number of occasions (a “single” offense) and involving a specific quantity
(30 grams or less) of a specific substance (marijuana). Read in its most natural
sense, this narrow language invites what the Nijhawan Court referred
to as a “circumstance-specific” inquiry, that is, an inquiry into the nature of the
conduct that caused the applicant to become inadmissible. Id. at 2298.
We do not deny that the elements of some State drug crimes may
be defined with sufficient particularity as to encompass all the elements of the
“offense” described in section 212(h) of the Act. But there are also many
statutes—including 21 U.S.C. § 844 (2006), the Federal simple possession
statute—that are far broader in scope, applying to all controlled substances and
making no mention (in the marijuana context at least) of drug quantity.
An alien convicted under such a broad statute could never establish categorical
eligibility for a waiver because the quantity of the offending substance
would not have been a statutory element that needed to be admitted or proven
to a jury in order to convict. We think it unlikely that Congress intended
to make an alien’s eligibility for a waiver dependent on such an arbitrary factor
as whether the convicting jurisdiction treated drug quantity as an element.
Furthermore, section 212(h) requires only that an applicant’s inadmissibility
“relate[] to” its object of reference, namely, “a single offense of simple
possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana.” Given the narrow specificity
of that object, it is hard to imagine any offense—apart from a few inchoate
offenses—that could “relate to” it categorically without actually being a simple
marijuana possession offense. Had Congress wished to make waivers
available only to aliens who had committed simple marijuana possession,
using a broad expression like “relates to” would have been an unlikely choice
of words. Thus, we conclude that Congress envisioned something broader,
specifically, a factual inquiry into whether an alien’s criminal conduct boreCite as 25 I&N Dec. 118 (BIA 2009) Interim Decision #3661
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such a close relationship to the simple possession of a minimal quantity
of marijuana that it should be treated with the same degree of forbearance
under the immigration laws as the simple possession offense itself.
In light of the foregoing, we conclude that an alien who is inadmissible
under section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) of the Act may apply for a section 212(h)
waiver if he demonstrates by a preponderance of the evidence that the conduct
that made him inadmissible was either “a single offense of simple possession
of 30 grams or less of marijuana” or an act that “relate[d] to” such an offense.
When attempting to make such a showing, however, an applicant must bear
several caveats in mind. First, waivers are only available for offenses that
merit the same lenient treatment as simple possession. An offense does not
“relate[] to a single offense of simple possession of 30 grams or less
of marijuana” if it contains elements that make it substantially more serious
than “simple possession.” For example, possessing marijuana in a prison
or near a school may relate to marijuana possession, but such offenses do not
relate to simple possession because they are inherently more serious than the
basic crime. See Matter of Moncada, 24 I&N Dec. 62 (BIA 2007). Second,
removal proceedings are not a venue for the relitigation of criminal
prosecutions. See Matter of Ruiz-Massieu, 22 I&N Dec. 833, 844 (BIA 1999),
and cases cited therein. If the fact of conviction is sufficient to show that
an alien committed actions in addition to (or more culpable than) a single
offense of simple possession of a small amount of marijuana, then the inquiry
is at an end, and section 212(h) relief is unavailable.
We now turn to the facts of this case. The respondent is inadmissible
because of a Minnesota conviction for possessing drug paraphernalia. Under
Minnesota law, “drug paraphernalia” includes objects—such as marijuana
pipes—that can be used to introduce small quantities of marijuana into the
body. The “use” of marijuana differs from “simple possession,” but the two
concepts are closely related. As we understand it, “simple possession” denotes
the exercise of dominion or control over marijuana with an eye to its use by the
possessor. Indeed, Minnesota law—like Federal law—does not punish the
use of marijuana at all, but instead treats it as subsumed by the concept
of simple possession. This close relationship between “simple possession” and
“personal use” of marijuana is also reflected in section 237(a)(2)(B)(i)
of the Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(B)(i) (2006), which contains an exception
to deportability for any alien convicted of “a single offense involving
possession for one’s own use of thirty grams or less of marijuana.” (Emphasis
added.) Section 237(a)(2)(B)(i), with its explicit reference to “possession for
one’s own use,” informs the meaning of the very similar language appearing
in section 212(h). Thus, when a person possesses drug paraphernalia for the
sole purpose of introducing 30 grams or less of marijuana into his body, his
conduct “relates to” the offense described in section 212(h). The respondentCite as 25 I&N Dec. 118 (BIA 2009) Interim Decision #3661
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was convicted of possessing a marijuana pipe. Therefore he may be able
to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the conduct that makes him
inadmissible was “relate[d] to,” and no more serious than, a single offense
of simple possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana.
The Immigration Judge did not give the respondent an opportunity
to make such a showing because he concluded that aliens with drug
paraphernalia convictions were categorically ineligible for section 212(h)
relief. Furthermore, because the Board is generally precluded from engaging
in factfinding, such a showing cannot be made on the appellate pleadings.
8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(d)(3)(iv) (2009). Accordingly, the record will be remanded
to the Immigration Judge so that the respondent may have an opportunity
to adduce evidence establishing his eligibility for section 212(h) relief.
III. CONCLUSION
The respondent’s Minnesota conviction for possessing drug paraphernalia
makes him inadmissible under section 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) of the Act, barring
adjustment of status absent a section 212(h) waiver. To qualify for such
a waiver, the respondent must prove that the conduct that makes him
inadmissible “relates to a single offense of simple possession of 30 grams
or less of marijuana.” The respondent’s statute of conviction encompasses
some offenses that could satisfy that requirement, and the respondent’s
conviction record does not foreclose the possibility that his particular
conviction arose from such conduct. Therefore, the record will be remanded
so that the respondent may have an opportunity to prove that the conduct that
made him inadmissible “relate[d] to” such a simple possession offense.
ORDER: The appeal is dismissed in part and sustained in part.
FURTHER ORDER: The record is remanded to the Immigration Judge
for further proceedings consistent with the foregoing opinion and for the entry
of a new decision.