11th Cir. Discusses Split Re Impact of IIRIRA on Section 212(c) of the INA

Per Ferguson v. U.S. Attorney General, --- F.3d ----, 2009 WL 824434 (11th Mar. 31, 2009):

INS v. St. Cyr addressed the way that two statutory amendments to the INA-namely, AEDPA and IIRIRA-impacted § 212(c), 8 U.S.C. § 1182(c).

. . .

The circuits are split on how to apply St. Cyr to aliens outside of the guilty plea context. The majority of circuits to address the issue have held that IIRIRA does not have an impermissible retroactive effect on aliens who relied on § 212(c) relief in deciding to go to trial. See Hernandez-Castillo v. Moore, 436 F.3d 516, 520 (5th Cir.2006); Montenegro v. Ashcroft, 355 F.3d 1035, 1036-37 (7th Cir.2004); Rankine v. Reno, 319 F.3d 93, 102 (2d Cir.2003); Chambers v. Reno, 307 F.3d 284, 290-93 (4th Cir.2002); Dias v. INS, 311 F.3d 456, 458 (1st Cir.2002) (“[A]pplication of the new statutory limitations on discretionary relief does not have an impermissible retroactive effect on those aliens who would have been eligible for discretionary relief when they were convicted of a felony after trial.”).

. . .

Although our Court has not squarely decided the retroactivity issue splitting the circuits, we have come close to doing so on two occasions. We have all but said that St. Cyr 's retroactivity analysis does not apply to aliens who were convicted after a trial-as opposed to a guilty plea-and that § 212(c) relief is, therefore, not available to such aliens.