# Interim Decision #3078

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## Record

- **Collection:** Agency decision
- **Document type:** Agency decision

## Text

Interim Decision #3078

MATTER OF MEDINA
In Deportation Proceedings
A-2694U415

Decided by Board October 7, 1988
(1) Neither the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in
Time of War nor customary international law creates a potential remedy from deportation that can be sought by individual aliens in deportation proceedings over
and above that provided by the Immigration and Nationality Act, as implemented
by regulation.
(2) Neither an immigration judge nor the Bvard of Immigration Appeals has authority to grant extended voluntary departure, deferred action, or withholding of de-

portation of displaced persons to "war refugees"; that is, individuals seeking
refuge outside their country of origin because of war, who do not meet the refugee
definition of section 101(4)(42) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, El U.S.C.
§ 1101(aX42) (1982).
CHARGE:
Order: Act of 1952—Sec. 241(aX2) [8 U.S.C. § 1251(aX2)1—Entered without inspection
ON BEHALF OF SERVICE:
David Ayala
General Attorney

ON BEHALF OF RESPONDENT:
Clare Cherkasky, Esquire
Proyecto Libertad
101 A East Jackson
Harlingen, Texas 78550

David M. Dixon
Appellate Counsel

Carol Wolchok, Esquire
American Civil Liberties Union
Fund of the National Capital Area
122 Maryland Avenue, N.H.
Washington, D.C. 20002

BY: Milhollan, Chairman; Dunne, Morris, and Vacca, Board Members. Board
Member Michael J. Heilman has abstained from consideration of this case.

On July 25, 1985, the immigration judge entered a decision that
found the respondent deportable as charged, denied her applica-

tions for asylum and withholding of deportation and for relief

under the Geneva Conventions of 1949, but granted her the privilege of voluntary departure. The immigration judge certified his der70A

Interim Decision #3078
cision in this case to the Board pursuant to 8 C.F.R. §§ 3.1(c) and
242.8(a) (1985), in view of his findings regarding "unusually complex and novel questions of law." Along with the briefs of the respondent and the Immigration and Naturalization Service on certification, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Lawyer's Committee for International Human Rights, and the Department of State
submitted amicus curiae briefs. The decision of the immigration
judge will be affirmed in part and reversed in part.
The respondent is a 26-year-old single female, a native and citizen of El Salvador, who entered the United States without inspection in November 1980, at Hildago, Texas. She conceded the allegations contained in her Order to Show Cause, Notice of Hearing,
and Warrant for Arrest of Alien (Form I-221S), which establish her
deportability under section 241(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1251(aX2) (1982). Accordingly, her deportability is established by evidence that is clear, unequivocal, and
convincing. Woodby v. INS, 385 U.S. 276 (1966).
At her deportation hearing, the respondent applied for asylum
and withholding of deportation under sections 208(a) and 243(h) of
the Act, 8 U.S.C. §§ 1158(a) and 1253(h) (1982). She also sought
relief from deportation under the provisions of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War

("Fourth Convention" or c`Convention"). 1 The respondent asserts
that there exists a private right of relief under the Fourth Convention that provides relief from deportation over and above any provided for in the Act, which can be pursued in deportation proceedings. In the alternative, the respondent seeks relief based on rights
she submits are provided by customary international law. She
maintains that in a situation of open hostilities, such as presently
exists in El Salvador, customary international law, binding on the
United States and enforceable by private persons, provides relief
from deportation that can be sought before an immigration judge.
On these bases, the respondent has requested what amounts to extended voluntary departure until such time as the hostilities in El
Salvador cease and it will be safe for her to return, or until another country grants her request for asylum. Alternatively, the respondent seeks a remand of this case for a further evidentiary
hearing to determine whether El Salvador is violating the provisions of the Convention.
In his findings, the immigration judge determined that El Salvador is currently in a state of noninternational armed conflict and
Geneva Convention No. W, Aug. 12, 1949, 6 U.S.T. 3516, T.I.A.S. No. 3365, 75
U.N.T.S. 287 (entered into force for the United States Feb. 2, 1956).

Interim Decision #3078
that the respondent left El Salvador both to escape the armed conflict and to seek better employment in the United States. The immigration judge further found that El Salvador and the United
States are "high contracting parties" under the Fourth Convention;
that he was empowered to consider the Convention on the issue of
deportability; and that the Convention was "self-executing" and
provided potential relief to respondents in deportation proceedings
not otherwise found in the Act. The immigration judge found, however, that the respondent had failed to sustain her burden of show-

ing that El Salvador was in violation of the Convention and thus
denied her request for relief under it. 2 For the reasons set forth

below, we find that the immigration judge erred in holding that
the Fourth Convention creates a basis for relief from deportation
that can be advanced by a respondent in deportation proceedings
before an immigration judge.
I. The Fourth Convention
(a) Scope of Articles 1 and S
The Fourth Convention was the first Geneva convention to address the protection of civilians in time of war. It is limited in
scope in several respects, the most significant of which is the fact
that, with the single exception of Article 3, this Convention is concerned exclusively with international armed conflicts. Only Article
3, which is common to all four Geneva Conventions, specifically applies to conflicts of a noninternational character, such as the
present conflict in El Salvador. 8
2 Prior to these findings, the immigration judge had denied the respondent's requests for asylum and withholding of deportation under sections 208(a) and 243(h) of
the Act. The findings in this regard are not contested by the respondent here.
3 The adoption of Article 3 represented a significant departure flow previous conventions on the law of war, which had not applied to noninternational armed con..
filets. Application of all of the provisions of the Convention to cases of noninternational conflict faced "almost universal opposition" at the Diplomatic Conference of
1949. Ultimately, more expansive provisions regarding noninternational conflicts
were rejected as having no chance of being accepted by the governments, and the
other articles of the Convention were not made applicable to such conflicts. See
Commentary on. the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 194,9: Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection. of Civilian Persons in Time of War 26-34 (0. Uhler & H. Coursier ed. 1958) (hereinafter cited as Commentary).
In 1977, the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and
Relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts ("Protocol II") was negotiated at a diplomatic conference in Geneva and signed by the
United States and 101 other nations. Protocol II, Dec. 12, 1977, U.N. Doc. A/32/
144, Annex II, reprinted in 16 I.L.M. 1442 (1977). Protocol II is an expansion of the
Continued

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Interim Decision #3078
Article 3 provides:
In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the
territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each Party to the conflict shall
be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:
(1) Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed
forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated
humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or
faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria.
To this end, the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and
in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:
(a) violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation,
cruel treatment and torture;
(b) taking of hostages;
(c) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading
treatment;
(d) the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court, affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.
(2) The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for.
An impartial humanitarian body, such as the International Committee of the Red

Cross, may offer its services to the Parties to the conflict.
The Parties to the conflict should further endeavour to bring into force, by means
of special agreements, all or part of the other provisions of the present Convention.
The application of the preceding provisions shall not affect the legal status of the
Parties to the conflict.

From its plain language, it is apparent that Article 3, which does
not refer to the repatriation of displaced persons, applies only to
each, party to a noriinternational conflict. Since it binds only the
parties to the conflict (in this case the Government of El Salvador
basic humanitarian provisions of Common Article 3 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions with respect to moninternational armed conflicts. Protocol II was submitted
by President Reagan to the Senate on January 29, 1987. The letter of transmittal
of President Reagan, the text of Protocol II, and the United States' proposed reservations and understandings to the Protocol set forth in a State Department
Report are reprinted in a Senate Treaty Document. S. Treaty Doc. No. 2, 100th
Cong., 1st Sess. (1987). There is no provision in Protocol II that obligates the parties to "ensure respect" of it under any circumstances. A proposed understanding
to this Protocol provides that the United States will "encourage" all States to
whom it provides assistance to comply with the Protocol with respect to all operations conducted by their armed forces. State Department Report, supra, at 7; see
also Smith, New Protections for Victims of International Armed Conflicts: The
Proposed Ratification. of Protocol II by the United States, 120 MiL L. Rev. 59
(1988). To date, Protocol II has not been ratified by the United States Senate.
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Interim Decision #3078
and the guerrillas), by its terms it does not apply to the United
States, which the respondent does not assert is a party to the conflict. In fact, if the United States were such a party, Article 3
would not apply as the conflict would then be of an international
character and thus would come within the scope of Article 2, which
encompasses international armed conflicts between two or more
"high contracting parties." Hence, Article 3 itself cannot be found
to impose obligations on the United Stales as regards the present

conflict in El Salvador.
It is instead submitted, and the immigration judge found, that
Article 1 of the Convention is the vehicle for imposing legal obligations on the United States, enforceable in deportation proceedings,

with respect to noninternational conflicts to which it is not a party.
Article 1, one of the shortest articles of the Convention, provides:
The High Contracting Parties undertake to respect and ensure respect for the
present Convention in all circumstances.

For two separate reasons, we do not find that Articles 1 and 3 can
be read together to create a basis for relief from deportation that

can be asserted by a respondent in deportation proceedings.4
First, both the provisions of the Convention itself and the accompanying commentary make clear that Article 2 is a self -contained
provision that constitutes the totality of the Convention as it relates to noninternational conflicts. Article 3 is like a "Convention
in miniature." It "applies to non-international conflicts only, and
will be the only Article applicable to them until such time as special agreement between the Parties has brought into force between
them all or part of the other provisions of the Convention." Com-

mentary, .supra note 3, at 34.
The conclusion that Article 3 is a "Convention in miniature" (L e,
the sole and entire statement of the agreement regarding noninternational conflicts) is supported by the terms of Articles 4 and 6 of
the Convention. Article 6 provides that the "present Convention
shall apply from the onset of any conflict ... mentioned in Article
4 The immigration judge also references Articles 147 and 148 of the Convention in
his analysis of whether a basis of relief from deportation arises under the Fourth
Convention. Article 147, however, is a definitional provision that enumerates actions
which are considered "grave breaches" of the Convention. It applies to
"persons ... protected by the present Convention," who are defined in Article 4 of
the Convention. Commentary, supra note 3, at 597. Under Article 4, "protected persons" are those affected by international conflicts as defined in Article 2 of the Convention. Commentary, supra note 3, at 47. Accordingly, the Articles regarding "grave
breaches" (Articles 146-48) are not directly relevant here. If the respondent is to be
successful, her route must be through the provisions of Article 1, as the remainder
of the Articles of the Convention (with the exception of Article 3) clearly apply only
to international conflicts.

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Interim Decision #3078
2." As noninternational conflicts are not within the scope of Article
2, under the provisions of Article 6, the Convention (other than Article 3) would not apply during the course of such conflicts- 5 Moreover, Article 4, in relevant part, defines persons protected by the
Convention as persons "in the hands of a party to the conflict ... of
which they are not nationals." This definition of protected persons
is inconsistent with a reading of the Convention (other than Article
3) to apply to noninternational conflicts. See Commentary, supra
note 3, at 17-25, 45-51, 58 61.
-

Further, it is unclear what obligations, if any, Article 1 was intended to impose with respect to violations of the Convention by
other States. One commentator has stated:
The principles of good faith and pacts sunt seruanda, which have deep historical
and jurisprudential roots in international law, impose on the United States not
only a duty to perform its own obligations as a party to the Conventions (the duty
"to respect" in the language of Article I), but also a duty not to encourage others
to violate common Article 3. Beyond this negative duty, the fundamental obligetine implies that each state must exert efforts to ensure that no violations of the
applicable provisions of humanitarian law ("to ensure respect") are committed, at
the very least by third parties controlled by that state.

Meron, The Geneva Convention as Customary Law, 81 Am. J. Intl
L. 348, 354 55 (1987) (footnote omitted).
However, the negotiating history of Article 1 suggests that the
words "to ensure respect" were intended primarily to obligate
States to ensure respect of the Convention by its own civilian and
military authorities. See 2B Final Record of the Diplomatic Conference of Geneva of 1949, at 53; see also supra note 3. And, the commentary on the words "in all circumstances" in Article 1 provides:
-

The words "in all circumstances" which appear in this Article, do not, of course,
cover the case of civil war, as the rules to be followed in such conflicts are laid
down by the Convention itself, in Article 3. The expression refers to all situations
in which the Convention has to be applied, as described, for example, in Article 2.
Disregarding the provisions applicable in peacetime, and Article 3 which relates
only to conflicts not of an international character, the words "in all circumstances" mean that as soon as one of the conditions of application for which Article 2 provides, is present, no Contracting Party can offer any valid pretext, legal
or otherwise, for not respecting the Convention in its entirety.

Commentary, supra note 3, at 16 (footnote omitted). Thus, within
the context of the Convention itself, it is doubtful whether Article
1 was intended to impose an affirmative duty on States of the
5 A proposal at the Diplomatic Conference of 1949 to add a reference to Article 3
in Article 6 was rejected. The 1958 Commentary notes: "This result appears to confirm the opinion already expressed—namely, that Article 3 is really a 'Convention
hi miniature' and itself contains the rules governing its application." Commentary,
upra note 8, at 61 (footnote omitted).

Interim Decision. #3078
nature argued by the respondent with regard to possible violations
of Article 3 by other States, particularly those not under their control.
(b) "Self-Execution" of Article 1
In any event, however, we cannot conclude that Article 1 of the
Convention is "self-executing," as that term has been used to refer
to the creation by treaty of rights that are privately enforceable by
individuals in the absence of implementing legislation. 6 We agree
with the Government that the language of Article 1 (i.e., that parties "undertake to respect and ensure respect" for the Convention)
does not evince en intent to create judicially enforceable rights in
private persons. The Article addresses itself to the political rather
than the judicial branch of government and uses language suggesting declarations of principle, rather than a code of privately enforceable legal rights. The language is akin to that in various provisions of the United Nations Charter long held not to be self-executing. See Frolova v. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, 761 F.2d
370, 373-76 (7th Cir. 1985), and the cases cited therein; see also
Huynh TM Anh v. Levi,

586 F.2d 625 (6th Cir. 1978); Dreyfus v. von

Finck, 534 F.2d 24, 80 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 835 (1976);
Hitai v. INS, 343 F.2d 466, 468 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 382 U.S. 816
(1965). Moreover, the nature of the requirement to "ensure respect"
for the Convention raises foreign policy issues committed to the political branch of government and not delegated to the immigration
judges or this Board. It is "essentially the kind of standard that is
rooted in diplomacy and its incidents, rather than in conventional
adjudication." Diggs v. Richardson, 555 F.2d 848, 851 (D.C. Cir.
1976).
We further note that the Convention sets forth a specific mechanism for inquiries to be instituted into alleged violations of its pro-

visions (Article 149) and reflects that signatory states will take
measures through their awn laws to enforce its provisions (Articles
145 and 146). Treaties that call for implementing legislation have
been found by federal courts not to be "self-executing." See Demjanjuk v. Meese, 'T84 F.2d 1114, 1116 (D.C. Cir. 1986); Frolova v.
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, supra, at 375-76; United States
v. Postal, 589 F.2d 862, 876-77 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 832
(1979); Huynh Thi Anh v. Levi, supra, at 629 (Fourth Convention
6 For a discussion of the various meanings that have been assigned to the term
"self-executing" in the analysis of treaties, see Iwasawa, The Doctrine of Self-Executing Treaties in the United States: A Critical Analysis, 26 Va. J. Intl L. 627 (1986).

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not "self-executing"); Handel v. Artukovic, 601 F. Supp. 1421, 1425
(C.D. Cal. 1985); Haitian Refugee Center, Inc. v. Gracey, 600 F. Supp.
1396, 1406 (D.D.C. 1985), aff'd on other grounds, 809 F.2d 794 (D.C.
Cir. 1987); see also Tel-Oren v. Libyan Arab Republic, 726 F.2d 774,
809 (D.C. Cir. 1984) (Bork, J. concurring) (Fourth Convention not
"self-executing"); Bertrand v. Sava, 684 F.2d 204, 218-19 (2d Cir.
1982).
(c) Absence of Legislation Creating Remedy in Deportation
Proceedings; Limits on Immigration Judge Jurisdiction
Finally, as to the Fourth Convention issue, even if one assumes
that Article 1 imposes the treaty obligations on the United States
asserted by the respondent regarding the present conflict in El Salvador, have laws been enacted creating the remedy the respondent
seeks in deportation proceedings? Or, assuming the Convention is
"self-executing," as argued, can a remedy be sought in deportation
proceedings? The answer to both questions is clearly no.

First, Congress specifically considered and chose not to enact legislation to consider persons in the respondent's situation "refugees," which could have created the right to apply for relief within
the context of deportation or exclusion proceedings. Compare S.
Rep. No. 256, 96th Cong., 1st Sess. (1979) with H.R. Rep. 781, 96th
Cong., 2d Sess., reprinted in 1980 U.S. Code Cong. & Ad. News 141,
160 (joint explanatory statement of the conference committee). Bills
have been regularly introduced in Congress since at least 1983 to
specifically grant extended voluntary departure or deferred deportation to Salvadorans. For example, see 65 laterpeter Releases, No.
32, Aug. 22, 1988, at 849-50. Such legislation, which to date has not
been enacted, would not create a remedy within the jurisdiction of
an immigration judge or the Board.

There is presently pending in Congress a "Temporary Safe
Haven Act," which would establish statutory criteria to guide the
Attorney General in granting "temporary safe haven" to displaced
aliens present in the United States. This Act, however, as drafted,
would provide in part that the "Attorney General, after consultation with appropriate agencies of Government," may designate
countries where there is an. ongoing conflict that would pose a substantial threat to the personal safety of aliens if returned to that
country. Aliens from such countries would be permitted to remain
temporarily in the United States and not be deported. The Act

would specifically provide that there be "no judicial review of any
determination by the Attorney General under its [provisions]." See
H.R. Rep. No. 4379, 100th Cong., 2d Sess. (1988) ("Temporary Safe
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Interim Decision #3078
Haven Act of 1988"). Both Congress and the courts have recognized
that determinations in this area involve considerations of both foreign and domestic policy. See Hotel & Restaurant Employees Union
v. Attorney General, 804 F.2d 1256, 1270-72 (D.C. Cir. 1986). Thus,
Congress has not enacted (and pending legislation would not
create) the individual remedy in deportation proceedings that is
sought by the respondent.
Secondly, and most fundamentally, to the extent there is authority under existing law (statutory - or treaty) to grant extended vol-

untary departure, such authority has not been been delegated by
the Attorney General to the immigration judges or this Board.' Immigration judges have the statutory authority to "determine the
deportability of an alien" under section 242(b) of the Act, 8 U.S.C.
§ 1252(b) (1982). Any other "determinations" can only be made "as
authorized by the Attorney General." See section 242(b) of the Act.
Whether characterized as "extended voluntary departure," "deferred action," or the "temporary withholding of deportation of displaced persons" (not within the scope of section 243(h) of the Act),
such authority has not been delegated by the Attorney General to

immigration judges or this Board. Matter of Quintero, 18 MN Dec.
348 (BIA 1982), aff'd, Quintero Martinez v. INS, 745 F.2d 67 (91,h
-

Cir. 1984); Matter of Banaria, 16 I&N Dec. 421 (BIA 1977); Matter of
Anaya, 14 I&N Dec. 488 (BIA 1973), aff'cl, Anaya-Perchez v. INS,
500 F.2d 574 (5th Cir. 1974); Matter of Chamizo, 13 I&N Dec. 435
(BIA 1969); see also section 103(a) of the Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1103(a)
(1982); 8 C.F.R. § 2.1 (1988). Accordingly, we do not find that the
Fourth Convention creates a remedy that individual aliens can
pursue in deportation proceedings before an immigration judge.

7 Through the years, the Attorney General, ordinarily with the advice of the Secretary of State, has exercised prosecutorial discretion to temporarily suspend deportation proceedings against nationals of various, usually war-torn countries (e.g.,
Uganda, Ethiopia, Poland, Afghanistan). The Attorney General has declined to take
such action regarding Salvadorans. See 63 Interpreter Releases, No. 29, July 28, 1986,
at 626-27. The authority to grant this blanket relief has not been delegated to Service disLriut diretAna. See INS Wire, File 242.1 P (Feb. 0, 1984), leyeited le 61 litter
preter Releases, No. 6, Feb. 10, 1984, at 103-104; see also Commissioner's Letter, File
CO 207-C (Aug. 13, 1985), reported in 62 interpreter Releases, No. 37, Sept. 20, 1985,
at 920.
-

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II. Customary International Law

(a) General
The respondent alternatively argues that over and above any
treaty obligations under the Fourth Convention, customary international law prohibits States from fQrceably repatriating war refugees. "War refugees" in this context are individuals who do not
meet the refugee definition of the 1951 Convention and the 1967
Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, 8 or of section
101(a)(42) of the Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42) (1982). They are displaced persons who flee areas of armed conflict, but not "because of
persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of
race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group
or political opinion." Section 101(a)(42) of the Act. The reality is
that displaced persons, who have "been forced to seek refuge outside their country of origin because of war or other political or
social disturbances . . . now constitute the majority of the world's
refugees," outnumbering the so-called "statutory refugees." Report
of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 39 U.N.

GAOR Sapp. (No_ 12), U.N. Doc. A/39/12 at 5 (1984).
International law is part of the law of the United States. The Supreme Court long ago held:
International law is part of our law, and must be ascertained and administered by
the courts of justice of appropriate jurisdiction as often as questions of right depending upon it are duly presented for their determination. For this purpose,
where there is no treaty and no controlling executive or legislative act or judicial
decision, resort must be had to the customs and usages of civilized nations, and, as
evidence of these, to the works of jurists and commentators who by years of labor,
research, and experience have made themselves peculiarly well acquabited with
the subjects of which they treat.

The Pogue te Habana, 175 U.S. 677, 700 (1900). The Court has further held that customary international law must be referred to "in
appropriate circumstances." Banco Nacional de Cuba v. Sabbatino,
276 U.S. 398, 422 (1964).
Three questions are raised regarding this issue. First, does customary international law support the premise advanced by the respondent? Secondly, are there controlling legislative or executive
acts? Finally, in any event, can customary international law provide the remedy sought by the respondent in deportation proceedings?
8 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, July 28, 1951,
189 U.N.T.S. 150; United Nations Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, Jan.
31, 1967, [1968] 19 U.S.T. 6226, T.I.A.S. No. €577, 606 U.N.T.S. 268.

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(b) Absence of Rule of Customary International Law
The traditional elements for determining whether a rule of customary international law has emerged have been compressed into
two: (1) a general and consistent State practice, and (2) a conception that the practice is required by, or consistent with, prevailing
international law. See North Sea Continental Shelf Cases (FRG/
Den.; FRG/Neth.), 1969 ICJ Rep. 3, 41-44 (Judgment of Feb. 20);
Kirgis, Custom on a Sliding Scale, 81 Am. J. Intl L. 146 (1987). Regarding the first element, there has been a growing humanitarian
policy of States permitting persons fleeing from civil strife, famine,
and other adverse conditions to remain in their territory temporarily. However, we must agree with the position of the Department of
State that the respondent has failed to demonstrate that, where
States have granted such temporary refuge, they have done so
based on a conception that they were required to do so under international law.. Particularly in view of the ancient, customary principle of the right of sovereign nations to determine which aliens
shall be admitted and permitted to remain within their territories
and the absence of any successful attempt by international treaty
to include displaced persons within the protection of the laws relating to refugees, we cannot find adequate support for the concept
that these humanitarian policies followed by States have emerged
into a requirement of customary international law. 9
As the existing international laws regarding refugees (which
principally focus on individual claims) do not cover those who have
become the "majority of the world's refugees," the pronouncements
of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
("UNHCR") and international organizations and groups of experts
cited by the respondent regarding this matter are understandable.
This is particularly true in the case of the UNHCR, whose mission
is to take care of the special problems of refugees and displaced
persons and to propose solutions to those problems. However, even
the qualified and hortatory language used by the UNHCR suggests
that the putative right of temporary refuge is a humanitarian goal,
which the High Commissioner hopes will become the practice of
States, rather than a present obligation of customary international
law. See, e.g., Report of the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees to the Economic and Social Council, U.N. Doc. E/1985/62
para. 16 (1985); Report of the United Nations High Commissioner
9 Preeoclonta "lave long octablichool the power to expel or exclude enema as a fundamental sovereign attribute exercised by. the Government's political departments

largely immune irom judicial control." Kalb) v. Bell 430 U.S. 787, 792 (1977) (quoting Shaughnessy v. United States, 345 U.S. 206, 210 (1953)).

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for Refugees, 19 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 12), U.N. Doc. A/39/12 at 7
(1984).
One manner in which to frame this question regarding customary international law is to ask: If an international diplomatic conference were convened today to address the question of whether
displaced persons should now be included within the definition of
"statutory refugees" under the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol,
would present State practice and "opinio juris" lead one to conclude that the States' response would not only be "yes," but would
acknowledge that such is already the state of customary international law? The arguments presented to the Board do not adequately indicate that the answer to this question is "yes."
(c) Controlling Legislative and Executive Actions

In any event, as noted above, resort is had to the "customs and

usages of civilized nations," only "where there is no treaty and no
controlling executive or legislative act or judicial decision." The Paquete Habana, supra, at700. We find that the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, and the implementing regulations thereunder, are in fact controlling legislative and executive acts.
It is clear that in passing the Refugee Act of 1980, Pub. L. No.
96-212, 94 Stat. 102, Congress intended to establish a single, comprehensive basis for meeting the United States' humanitarian obligations regarding refugees. As stated in section 101(b) of the Refugee Act:
(b) The objectives of this Act are to provide a permanent and systematic procedure for the admission to this country of refugees of special humanitarian concern
to the United States, and provide comprehensive and uniform provisions for the
effective resettlement and absorption of those refugees who are admitted.

The Senate Report to the Senate version of the bill states:
The Refugee Act of 1979 establishes for the first time a comprehensive United
States refugee resettlement and assistance policy. It reflects one of the oldest
themes in America's history—welcoming homeless refugees to our shores. It gives
statutory meaning to our national commitment to human rights and humanitarian concerns . . And it places into law what we do for refugees now by custom
and on an ad hoc basis.

S. Rep. No. 256, 96th Cong., 1st Sess. 1(1979). The Report describes
the bill as designed to meet "emergency refugee situations and any
other situations of special concern to the United States." Id. at 2.
Further, whether to include war refugees (displaced persons)
within the scope of the Act was specifically considered by Congress
in the legislative process and was decided against. The Conference
Committee Report states:

Interim Decision #3078
The Senate bill incorporated the internationally-accepted definition of refugee
contained in the U.N. Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees_
It also covered persons who are in their own country displaced by military or civil
disturbances or who are uprooted by arbitrary detention and unable to return to
fhpir usual place of abode.
The House amendment incorporated the U-N. definition as well as Presidentiallyspecified persons within their own country who are being persecuted or who fear
persecution. The House amendment specifically excluded from the definition persons who themselves have engaged in persecution.
The Conference substitutes the House provision.

Conf. Rep. No. 590, 96th Cong., 2d Sess. 19 (1980).
Thus, we find that the Immigration and Nationality Act, as
amended by the Refugee Act of 1980, is a "controlling . . . legislative Act" that would preclude the application of customary international law in the manner urged by the respondent.
(d) Limits on Immigration Judge Jurisdiction
Finally, and again most fundamentally, even if it were assumed
that customary international law could provide a basis for individual aliens to assert a right that their deportation be withheld, as
noted above, an immigration judge's authority is limited by statute
and regulation. The authority to consider such requests has not
been delegated by the Attorney General to the immigration judges
or this Board.
In an amicus curiae reply brief, the Lawyers Committee for
International Human Rights submits that the remedy sought by
the respondent falls within the immigration judge's authority to
make determinations regarding voluntary departure. It is stated
that in granting voluntary departure an immigration judge "is limited only by the grant of power given to him by the statute, and
the dictates of the Constitution." However, this incorrectly ignores
the fact that an immigration judge's authority to grant relief from
deportation is limited to that specifically delegated to him or her
by the Attorney General. See sections 103(a) and 242(b) of the Act
An immigration judge's authority to grant a respondent voluntary
departure is conditioned upon a finding that the respondent is
"willing and has the immediate means with which to depart
promptly from the United States." See 8 C.F.R. § 244.1 (1988) (emphasis added).
As indicated in Matter of Quintero, supra, "voluntary departure"
.

and "extended voluntary departure" are fundamentally different

forms of relief. The determination of eligibility for voluntary departure to be granted an alien by an inu:nigration judge is premised on
the respondent being able and willing to promptly depart the
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Interim Decision #3078
United States. It is within this context that an immigration judge
determines the reasonable amount of time necessary to allow the
alien to readily and conveniently leave this country. See Matter of
Ocampo-Ocampo, 13 I&N Dec. 707 (BIA 1971). On the other hand, a
grant of extended voluntary departure presupposes that an alien is
unwilling or unable to promptly depart. It is designed to allow an
alien to remain in the United States for an indefinite period of
time, such as is sought here. The authority to grant such relief has
not been delegated to immigration judges. See Matter of Quintero,
supra; Matter of Banaria, supra; Matter of Anaya, supra; Matter of
Chamizo, supra. For a discussion of the difference between extensions of voluntary departure and extended voluntary departure, see
61 Interpreter Releases, No. 6, Feb. 10, 1984, at 103-04. Here, the
respondent has been granted voluntary departure. Thus, she already has been granted the form of relief over which the immigration judge has jurisdiction.
III. Findings and Orders
We find that neither the Fourth Convention nor customary international law provides potential relief from deportation that can be
sought by individual aliens in deportation proceedings over and
above that which is provided by the Immigration and Nationality
Act, as implemented by regulation. Accordingly, the respondent's
alternative request that the case be remanded for further fact-finding on whether violations of the Fourth Convention or customary
international law are occurring in El Salvador is denied.
Further, although the respondent has raised no issue regarding
the immigration judge's denial of her applications for asylum and
withholding of deportation, we have reviewed the record in its entirety, including the respondent's testimony. The decision of the
immigration judge in this regard will be affirmed as we find that
the respondent failed to establish either a clear probability or a
well founded fear of persecution based on. political opinion or her
membership in a particular social group. INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca,
480 U.S. 421 (1987); INS v. Stevie, 467 U.S. 407 (1984); Matter of
Mogharrabi, 19 I&N Dec. 439 (BIA 1987).
In view of the foregoing, we shall affirm the decision of the immigration judge insofar as it finds the respondent deportable as
charged, denies her applications for asylum and withholding of deportation, and grants her the privilege of voluntary departure.
However, we reverse the immigration judge's finding that the
Geneva Convention provides jurisdiction for the immigration judge
to grant to a respondent relief in deportation proceedings over and
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Interim Decision #3078
above any relief available under the provisions of the Act, as implemented by regulation.
We finally note, however, that the respondent and those in her
situation are not without avenues to the relief sought. In fact, the
available approaches have been pursued. Extended voluntary departure for Salvadorans has been sought before the Attorney General and Congress. To date, however, such attempts have not been
successful.
ORDER: The decision of the immigration judge finding the respondent deportable as charged, denying her requests for asylum
and withholding of deportation, and granting her the privilege of
voluntary departure is affirmed.
FURTHER ORDER: The decision of the immigration is reversed to the extent it finds that the Fourth Convention provides a
potential basis for relief from deportation within the jurisdiction of
the immigration judge.
FURTHER ORDER: Pursuant to the immigration judge's
order and in accordance with our decision in Matter of Chouliaris,
16 I&N Dec. 168 (BIA 1977), the respondent is permitted to depart
from the United States voluntarily within 30 days from the date of
this order or any extension beyond that time as may be granted by

the district director; and in the event of failure to so depart, the
respondent shall be deported as provided in the immigration
judge's order.

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/agency%3Aeoir%3A5ce976497bf62d9d. Public record. Not legal advice.