Nicaraguan Immigrant’s Drug Detention Upheld by Ninth Circuit

The Ninth Circuit on Friday affirmed the detention of a Nicaraguan immigrant previously convicted of two drug crimes, concluding that the appeals court does have jurisdiction to review the decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals.

The BIA didn’t abuse its discretion in determining that Javier Martinez, a lawful permanent resident, posed a danger to the community because of previous convictions for trafficking cocaine, Judge Patrick J. Bumatay wrote for a three-judge panel for the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The BIA “reasonably believed that Martinez’s equities did not outweigh the evidence of dangerousness,” Bumatay said.

The …