26 I. & N. Dec. 20
BIA2012Background
- Respondent is a Mexico-born, noncitizen who entered the U.S. in 1990 without admission or parole.
- In 2007, respondent was convicted under Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-1201(A) for endangerment by recklessly endangering another with a substantial risk of imminent death.
- DHS charged removability and the respondent sought cancellation of removal under INA § 240A(b).
- Immigration Judge denied cancellation, concluding respondent was statutorily ineligible because the offense is a crime involving moral turpitude.
- Board of Immigration Appeals affirmed and held the Arizona endangerment statute is categorically a crime involving moral turpitude due to its recklessness-based mental state and its potential for reprehensible conduct.
- This appeal asks whether the Arizona offense is a CIMT under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) despite voluntary intoxication shaping recklessness.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether AZ endangerment (13-1201(A)) is a CIMT under Silva-Trevino | Leal argues the statute lacks requisite scienter and fails the moral turpitude category. | Board & DHS contend recklessness, including voluntary intoxication, satisfies Silva-Trevino's scienter and constitutes CIMT. | Yes; it is a CIMT. |
| Does voluntary intoxication satisfy the Silva-Trevino scienter requirement | Voluntary intoxication creates unawareness, not conscious disregard, so not a CIMT. | Recklessness, including intoxication, constitutes culpable scienter for CIMT purposes. | Yes; voluntary intoxication recklessness satisfies scienter. |
| Whether recklessness with substantial risk of imminent death constitutes reprehensible conduct | Endangerment may not inherently be moral turpitude if transgressions are not reprehensible. | Exposure to substantial risk of imminent death is morally turpitudinous and base. | Yes; it satisfies the reprehensible conduct element. |
Key Cases Cited
- Matter of Silva-Trevino, 24 I. & N. Dec. 687 (A.G. 2008) (establishes Silva-Trevino framework and corrupt scienter for CIMT)
- Matter of Ruiz-Lopez, 25 I. & N. Dec. 551 (BIA 2011) (moral turpitude in recklessness contexts; de novo review of ‘reprehensible conduct’)
- Knapik v. Ashcroft, 384 F.3d 84 (3d Cir. 2004) (reckless endangerment as CIMT where conduct harmfully disregards risk)
- Idy v. Holder, 674 F.3d 111 (1st Cir. 2012) (reckless conduct placing others in danger as CIMT)
- Hernandez-Perez v. Holder, 569 F.3d 345 (8th Cir. 2009) (reckless endangerment under state law as CIMT)
- Keungne v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 561 F.3d 1281 (11th Cir. 2009) (reckless endangerment as CIMT under state law)
- Matter of Medina, 15 I. & N. Dec. 611 (BIA 1976) (reckless conduct morphed into CIMT analysis)
- Matter of M-W-, 25 I. & N. Dec. 748 (BIA 2012) (voluntary intoxication contexts in CIMT analysis)
- Montana v. Egelhoff, 518 U.S. 37 (1996) (analytical framework for recklessness and moral responsibility)