Justia U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals Opinion Summaries

In an effort to reduce costs and achieve greater efficiency, Employer consolidated two lab operations into one, which resulted in a reduction in positions and in a Union losing jurisdiction over lab testing work that its members had previously performed. At issue in this appeal was Employer's obligations under national labor law to bargain with the union representing the affected employees. The National Labor Relations Board found (1) the lab work transfer decision involved a mandatory subject of bargaining so that Employer's refusal to bargain violated the National Labor Relations Act, and (2) the collective bargaining agreement between Employer and Union did not prohibit the work transfer without the Union's consent. The First Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed, (1) holding that the Board made no error of law in reaching its decision; and (2) granting the Board's petition for enforcement of its order requiring Employer to return to the Union certain work that Employer had transferred. View "Nat'l Labor Relations Bd. v. Solutia, Inc." on Justia Law

Petitioner, a citizen of Guatemala, applied for asylum, asserting that he had fled his native country due to political persecution. After the Department of Homeland Security began removal proceedings against him, Petitioner argued he was the victim of past political persecution and that, if returned to Guatemala, he would be subject to persecution on account of "membership of a particular social group," namely, the group of Guatemalan nationals repatriated from the United States. The immigration judge denied relief, finding that Petitioner was a credible witness but that the facts did not support his asylum application or other claims for relief. The board of immigration appeals (BIA) affirmed. The First Circuit Court of Appeals denied Petitioner's petition for review, holding that Petitioner's request for statutory withholding of removal necessarily failed, as Petitioner did not establish that he would be persecuted based on his "membership in a particular social group" or his "political opinion." View "Escobar v. Holder" on Justia Law

Petitioner, a native and citizen of Jamaica, was convicted of illicit trafficking - an aggravated felony - and also of an offense under a state law relating to a controlled substance. The Department of Homeland Security began removal proceedings against Petitioner based on these offenses. Petitioner filed a responsive pleading seeking to terminate the removal proceedings or, in the alternative, to cancel removal. An immigration judge (IJ) denied Petitioner's motion to terminate and ordered Petitioner to be removed to Jamaica. The board of immigration appeals (BIA) affirmed. The First Circuit Court of Appeals denied Petitioner's petition for review, holding that Petitioner pled to possessing a controlled substance with intent to sell in violation of Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. 21a-277(b), that the offense was a subordinate offense constituting "trafficking," and therefore, Petitioner was convicted of drug trafficking as defined by federal law. View "James v. Holder" on Justia Law

In 2010, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began removal proceedings under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) against Petitioner. The notice asserted that Petitioner was removable on three separate grounds - child abuse, crime of violence, and sexual abuse of a minor. An immigration judge (IJ) ruled that Petitioner was removable on all three grounds asserted by DHS, and that, as an aggravated felon, Petitioner was ineligible for cancellation of removal. The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) affirmed. At issue was whether the endangerment offense to which Petitioner pled nolo contendere comprised an aggravated felony sexual abuse offense for purposes of the INA. The First Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the BIA's ruling insofar as it held that Petitioner was removable on the grounds that he was convicted of aggravated felony sexual abuse and that he was therefore ineligible for cancellation of removal, as Petitioner could not be held to have pled to an offense that fell within the sexual abuse rubric under the INA. View "Campbell v. Holder" on Justia Law

Petitioner Muhammad Saleem Sheikh, a native and citizen of Pakistan, sought review of a final order of removal issued by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). The order came after the BIA dismissed Petitioner's appeal of an immigration judge's denial of a continuance in his removal proceedings. The First Circuit Court of Appeals denied the petition, holding (1) there was no abuse of discretion in the decision to deny the motion for continuance under the standards set forth in Matter of Hashmi; and (2) Petitioner's hopes for immigration reform did not warrant forbearance in his removal proceedings. View "Sheikh v. Holder" on Justia Law

This case required the First Circuit Court of Appeals to decide, for the first time, whether section 1101(a)(42)(B), a statute enacted to pave the way for asylum for victims of China's coercive population control policies, extends automatically to a spouse of a person forced to undergo an abortion. Petitioner, a Chinese national, petitioned for asylum, seeking to remain in the United States because of, among other things, his wife's forced abortion. Petitioner argued he was entitled to per se refugee status under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42)(B) "as a person who has been forced to abort a pregnancy." The immigration judge rejected this argument, and the board of immigration appeals affirmed. The First Circuit Court denied Petitioner's petition for judicial review after joining several of its sister circuits in holding that, given the language of the relevant statute and the Attorney General's reasonable interpretation of it, the agency did not err in refusing to grant Petitioner's per se refugee status on the basis that the Chinese government had compelled his wife to undergo a forced abortion. View "Dong v. Holder" on Justia Law

Petitioner, a native and citizen of Venezuela, sought review of a final order of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). The order upheld both an immigration judge's (IJ) determination that Petitioner's asylum application was time-barred and the IJ's denial of his application for withholding of removal on the merits. The First Circuit Court of Appeals (1) dismissed as to the asylum claim, holding that it lacked jurisdiction to review that decision, as the Court is without jurisdiction to review agency findings regarding timeliness of an asylum application unless the petitioner challenges the decision on constitutional or legal grounds; and (2) denied as to the claim for withholding of removal, as substantial evidence supported the BIA's determination. View "Cabas v. Holder" on Justia Law

On January 4, 2010, an immigration judge (IJ) denied Petitioner's application for asylum, withholding of removal, and withholding under the Convention Against Torture. The board of immigration appeals (BIA) affirmed this denial on September 8, 2011. Petitioner petitioned for review of the BIA's decision. The First Circuit Court of Appeals denied the petition, holding that the IJ and BIA did not err by (1) concluding that Petitioner's past treatment on Ukraine did not rise to the level of persecution; and (2) concluding that Petitioner had failed to establish the requisite objective basis that a reasonable person in her circumstances would fear persecution. View "Rebenko v. Holder" on Justia Law

Defendant was convicted for illegally trafficking in sperm whale teeth and narwhal tusks. Specifically, the jury found Defendant's whale-tooth dealings violated CITES, an international compact implemented in the United States via the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and regulations authorized by the ESA. Defendant appealed, contending (1) the district judge should have instructed the jury on certain lesser-included offenses because he did not actually know his transactions were illegal, even if he should have known; and (2) smuggling convictions are legally wrong because his conduct violated only regulations, not statutes. The First Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed after quoting a line from Moby Dick, holding (1) the district court did not err in failing to give the requested instructions because a rational jury could not have found that Defendant lacked actual knowledge that his whale-tooth transactions were illegal; and (2) the smuggling statute criminalizes violations of regulations like those implementing CITES because Congress intended the word "law" in the phrase "contrary to law" to include regulatory law as well as statutory law. View "United States v. Place" on Justia Law

A member of the Boston City Council was convicted of attempted extortion under color of official right (Hobbs Act, 18 U.S.C. 1951) and three counts of making a false statement to FBI agents, 18 U.S.C. 1001 for accepting $1,000 in exchange for performing official acts to assist a local businessman in obtaining a liquor license for a supper club. That businessman was cooperating with the FBI. The First Circuit affirmed, rejecting challenges to sufficiency of the evidence and to jury instructions on reciprocity and interstate commerce. The court upheld the 36-month sentence against a contention that the government impermissibly sought vindictively to punish defendant. View "United States v. Turner" on Justia Law