Matter of J—J— (Board decision, June 5, 1961)

Plain-English summary

A man born in China entered the United States as a nonimmigrant with a certificate of identity so he could pursue a court action claiming U.S. citizenship. The court dismissed that action with prejudice, and he remained after being notified to depart. A special inquiry officer terminated deportation proceedings because the government had not established alienage. The Board held that the court's dismissal resolved his citizenship claim on the merits, so the government did not have to prove alienage again in the deportation proceeding. The Board withdrew the termination order, sustained the government's appeal, and ordered deportation on the charge that he remained longer than permitted.

Decision snapshot

• Cited authorities: Immigration and Nationality Act § 241(a)(2); Nationality Act of 1940 § 503.
• Outcome: Termination withdrawn; government appeal sustained; deportation ordered.
• Key point: A court dismissal with prejudice resolved the citizenship claim and supported the remaining longer deportation charge.

Full text (BIA official public release)

MATTER OF J—J—

In DEPORTATION Proceedings
A-8874489
Decided by Board June 5, 1961
Deportability—Effect of dismissal with prejudice of action under section 503, Nationality Act of 1940.
(1) Court's dismissal with prejudice of respondent's suit for declaratory judg- ment pursuant to section 503 of the Nationality Act of 1940 constitutes adjudication of his claim to citizenship on its merits.
(2) Respondent having been admitted with certificate of identity in nonimmi- grant status for sole purpose of pursuing section 503 action, that action having been concluded adversely to him on the merits, and respondent hav- ing failed to depart on notice, further proof of alienage is not required to establish his deportability on "remained longer" charge.
CHARGE:

Order: Act of 1952—Section 241(a) (2) [8 U.S.C. 1251(a)(2)]—After ad- mission as a nonimmigrant, who instituted court action under sec- tion 503 of the Nationality Act of 1940, remained longer than permitted.

BEFORE THE BOARD
DISCUSSION: The issue in this case is whether respondent is deportable as charged. The appeal, which is by the examining officer of the Service, is from a decision of the special inquiry offi- cer on February 28, 1961, terminating the proceedings on the ground that the government has failed to establish alienage. The appeal will be sustained.
The evidence herein on the issue of alienage is set forth in the special inquiry officer's opinion. Respondent, a 32-year-old male subject, a native of China (born 6-18-28), alleges that he is the son of J—T—, a United States citizen. The relationship of the subject to the alleged father, although claimed, has never been con- ceded by the United States Government. The alleged father and alleged paternal grandfather are conceded to be United States citi- zens. The subject and the alleged father have testified in the hearing. The subject asserted a claim to derivative citizenship un- der section 1993, Revised Statutes, as a defense to deportation.
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The subject's only entry to the United States occurred on Octo- ber 30, 1951, when he was admitted in the nonimmigrant visitor status (section 3(2), Immigration Act of 1924), at San Francisco, California, for the specified purpose of seeking a declaratory judg- ment in a suit filed pursuant to section 503, Nationality Act of 1940, to establish that he is a United States national. The civil action had been filed July 30, 1951, in the United States District Court, District of Columbia, entitled Ju Jeung v. Acheson (Civil Action 3108-51). The subject presented a certificate of identity issued by the United States Consul at Hong Kong, B.C.C., on Octo- ber 9, 1951, predicated on the allegation that he had been denied a right or privilege as a United States citizen. He had been re- fused a United States passport on January 9, 1951. He had also established that suit (under section 503, Nationality Act of 1940) to determine that he is a United States national had been filed in the United States and was pending. He was admitted for the duration required to conclude the civil action, subject to the conditions and stipulations in the certificate of identity. The spe- cial inquiry officer stated in the premise that the subject is de- portable if alienage is established. He reached the conclusion, following a complete summarization of the evidence, that alienage has not been established. On that finding the proceedings were ordered terminated. The examining officer is of the opinion that the facts and docu- ments in the record establish the respondent, foreign born, is prima facie an alien; that he was admitted to the United States in the nonimmigrant status to pursue his claim to United States citizen- ship in the courts; that he failed to litigate his suit or take any action to establish his claim, and permitted the suit to be dismissed by the court with prejudice; and that the evidence he has pre- sented here is insufficient to overcome the fact that he was prima facie an alien at time of entry. Matter of A—M—, 7—332. The examining officer has noted that the United States consuls in Can- ton, China, and Hong Kong, B.C.C., were unconvinced of respond- ent's identity and the claimed relationship to the alleged father. Service counsel joins the examining officer in the request to re- verse the decision of the special inquiry officer. He has emphasized that the dismissal of the civil action with prejudice on June 4, 1953, in which the subject submitted no evidence to substantiate his claim to United States nationality, was, in effect, tantamount to a determination of the issue on its merits and that, as a matter of law and precedent, the government is not required to prove alienage in this proceeding which is for the purpose of directing the subject's

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deportation, the same or similar to action taken by the Board in Matter of W—K—W—, 9—235.¹ We hold that the government is not required to weigh and evaluate the evidence in this proceeding to determine the issue of alienage. To resolve the question of United States citizenship, this respondent, who was unable to prove to the United States consul abroad that he was a citizen, has had recourse to declaratory judg- ment proceedings in the United States (28 U.S.C. 2201). The judg- ment by the court "dismissed with prejudice," is in substance an adjudication of the issue (case) on its merits.² The recital in this ¹ In a similar proceeding to determine a similar issue, Wong Ho v. Dulles, 261 F.2d 456, the U.S. District Court, after considering the evidence of both the plaintiff and defendant, held that a Chinese subject had not established that he was a United States national. That decision, adverse to the plain- tiff's claim, affirmed on appeal, constituted an adjudication of the issue on its merits and alone required the respondent's deportation in subsequent expul- sion proceedings. Matter of W—K—W—, 9—235 (B.I.A., 1961). Unlike the instant case, when dismissal of an action is voluntary, by the filing of a stipulation signed by all parties appearing in the action, the dismissal is without prejudice and not an adjudication on the merits unless otherwise stated in the notice of dismissal. (Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 41(a) (1)). See also Matter of T—, 8—244 (B.I.A., 1959). ² Rules of Civil Procedure

Rule 41—DISMISSAL OF ACTIONS
a. VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL; EFFECT THEREOF.
(1) By Plaintiff; By Stipulation. Subject to the provisions of Rule 23(c), of Rule 66, and of any statute of the United States, an action may be dis- missed by the plaintiff without order of court (i) by filing a notice of dis- missal at any time before service by the adverse party of an answer or of a motion for summary judgment, whichever first occurs, or (ii) by filing a stipu- lation of dismissal signed by all parties who have appeared in the action. Unless otherwise stated in the notice of dismissal or stipulation, the dismissal is without prejudice, except that a notice of dismissal operates as an adjudica- tion upon the merits when filed by a plaintiff who has once dismissed in any court of the United States or of any state an action based on or including the same claim. [As amended Dec. 27, 1946, effective March 19, 1948.] (2) By Order of Court. Except as provided in paragraph (1) of this sub- division of this rule, an action shall not be dismissed at the plaintiff's in- stance save upon order of the court and upon such terms and conditions as the court deems proper. If a counterclaim has been pleaded by a defendant prior to the service upon him of the plaintiff's motion to dismiss, the action shall not be dismissed against the defendant's objection unless the counter- claim can remain pending for independent adjudication by the court. Unless otherwise specified in the order, a dismissal under this paragraph is without prejudice. b. INVOLUNTARY DISMISSAL: EFFECT THEREOF. For failure of the plaintiff to prosecute or to comply with these rules or any order of court, a defendant may move for dismissal of an action or of any claim against him.

• • • Unless the court in its order for dismissal otherwise specifies, a dis-
      missal under this subdivision and any dismissal not provided for in this rule, other than a dismissal for lack of jurisdiction or for improper venue, operates as an adjudication upon the merits. [As amended Dec. 27, 1946, effective March 19, 1948.]
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decision of the import of the court judgment in declaratory judg- ment proceedings, adequately disputes and overcomes any claim to citizenship asserted by the respondent. We have stated the subject presented at time of entry a certifi- cate of identity issued by the United States Consul in Hong Kong, B.C.C. That document, authorized by section 503, Nationality Act of 1940 (8 U.S.C. 903, now repealed), contained the subject's sworn statements to the effect that if granted the certificate for admis- sion and the final outcome of the civil action should be adverse to his claim to citizenship, he would be subject to deportation if he failed to depart forthwith. Section 503, supra, also provided that a condition of the subject's admission to the United States would be that he should be subject to deportation if the civil action was ad- verse to his claim to United States nationality. We have recited the import of the judgment. Respondent has been notified to depart but has failed to do so. Admitted as a noncitizen he has remained longer than permitted and is deportable as charged. ORDER: It is ordered that the decision of the special inquiry officer on February 28, 1961, terminating this proceeding, be with- drawn. It is further ordered that the appeal be sustained and that the respondent be deported in the manner provided by law on the charge contained in the order to show cause.

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