Court Error – Deportation – Removal

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7^th Circuit Court of Appeals

Case Name: Ming Wei Chen v. Jefferson B. Sessions, III, Attorney General of the United States

Case No.: 17-1130

Officials: WOOD, Chief Judge, and BAUER and FLAUM, Circuit Judges.

Focus: Court Error – Deportation – Removal

Ming Wei Chen, a lawful permanent resident originally from China, was ordered removed from the United States as an alien convicted of a controlled‐sub‐ stance crime, see 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(2)(A)(i)(II). The Board of Immigration Appeals decided that Chen is ineligible for cancellation of removal because of an Illinois conviction for possessing more than 30 but not more than 500 grams of marijuana, 720 ILCS § 550/5(d). This, the Board thought, qualifies as an aggravated felony; if that is correct, then Chen is indeed ineligible for the relief he seeks. 8 U.S.C. § 1229b(a). Chen seeks review of that ruling in this court. We conclude that the Board misapplied the Supreme Court’s decision in Moncrieffe v. Holder, 133 S. Ct. 1678 (2013), when it characterized Chen’s conviction under ILCS § 550/5(d) as an aggravated felony. We therefore grant his petition for review and return the case to the agency for further action.

Remanded

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Attorney Derek A. Hawkins is the managing partner at Hawkins Law Offices LLC, where he heads up the firm’s startup law practice. He specializes in business formation, corporate governance, intellectual property protection, private equity and venture capital funding and mergers & acquisitions. Check out the website at www.hawkins-lawoffices.com or contact them at 262-737-8825.