Dominguez-Pulido v. Lynch

Dominguez-Pulido unlawfully entered the U.S with his parents around 1993. Approximately 15 years later, Dominguez-Pulido was convicted of burglary, a felony offense under Illinois law. An Immigration Judge concluded that he was removable as an alien present without admission and denied various forms of relief from removal. The Board of Immigration Appeals dismissed his appeal. The Seventh Circuit upheld the denials, citing 8 U.S.C. 1252(a)(2)(C), which limits judicial review of final orders for removal that involve a conviction for a crime involving moral turpitude. The court rejected claims that the “moral turpitude” clause was void for vagueness; that Dominguez-Pulido’s fear of persecution bears a nexus to his membership in a particular social group— individuals deported from the U.S. who have or who are perceived to have money, and who have family members in the U.S. who could pay ransom; and that his removal would violate the Eighth Amendment. View "Dominguez-Pulido v. Lynch" on Justia Law