Laws: Cases and Codes : U.S. Code : Title 8 : Section 1226a


   
U.S. Code as of: 01/03/05
Section 1226a. Mandatory detention of suspected terrorists; habeas corpus; judicial review

    (a) Detention of terrorist aliens
      (1) Custody
        The Attorney General shall take into custody any alien who is
      certified under paragraph (3).
      (2) Release
        Except as provided in paragraphs (5) and (6), the Attorney
      General shall maintain custody of such an alien until the alien
      is removed from the United States. Except as provided in
      paragraph (6), such custody shall be maintained irrespective of
      any relief from removal for which the alien may be eligible, or
      any relief from removal granted the alien, until the Attorney
      General determines that the alien is no longer an alien who may
      be certified under paragraph (3). If the alien is finally
      determined not to be removable, detention pursuant to this
      subsection shall terminate.
      (3) Certification
        The Attorney General may certify an alien under this paragraph
      if the Attorney General has reasonable grounds to believe that
      the alien - 
          (A) is described in section 1182(a)(3)(A)(i),
        1182(a)(3)(A)(iii), 1182(a)(3)(B), 1227(a)(4)(A)(i),
        1227(a)(4)(A)(iii), or 1227(a)(4)(B) of this title; or
          (B) is engaged in any other activity that endangers the
        national security of the United States.
      (4) Nondelegation
        The Attorney General may delegate the authority provided under
      paragraph (3) only to the Deputy Attorney General. The Deputy
      Attorney General may not delegate such authority.
      (5) Commencement of proceedings
        The Attorney General shall place an alien detained under
      paragraph (1) in removal proceedings, or shall charge the alien
      with a criminal offense, not later than 7 days after the
      commencement of such detention. If the requirement of the
      preceding sentence is not satisfied, the Attorney General shall
      release the alien.
      (6) Limitation on indefinite detention
        An alien detained solely under paragraph (1) who has not been
      removed under section 1231(a)(1)(A) of this title, and whose
      removal is unlikely in the reasonably foreseeable future, may be
      detained for additional periods of up to six months only if the
      release of the alien will threaten the national security of the
      United States or the safety of the community or any person.
      (7) Review of certification
        The Attorney General shall review the certification made under
      paragraph (3) every 6 months. If the Attorney General determines,
      in the Attorney General's discretion, that the certification
      should be revoked, the alien may be released on such conditions
      as the Attorney General deems appropriate, unless such release is
      otherwise prohibited by law. The alien may request each 6 months
      in writing that the Attorney General reconsider the certification
      and may submit documents or other evidence in support of that
      request.
    (b) Habeas corpus and judicial review
      (1) In general
        Judicial review of any action or decision relating to this
      section (including judicial review of the merits of a
      determination made under subsection (a)(3) or (a)(6) of this
      section) is available exclusively in habeas corpus proceedings
      consistent with this subsection. Except as provided in the
      preceding sentence, no court shall have jurisdiction to review,
      by habeas corpus petition or otherwise, any such action or
      decision.
      (2) Application
        (A) In general
          Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including section
        2241(a) of title 28, habeas corpus proceedings described in
        paragraph (1) may be initiated only by an application filed
        with - 
            (i) the Supreme Court;
            (ii) any justice of the Supreme Court;
            (iii) any circuit judge of the United States Court of
          Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; or
            (iv) any district court otherwise having jurisdiction to
          entertain it.
        (B) Application transfer
          Section 2241(b) of title 28 shall apply to an application for
        a writ of habeas corpus described in subparagraph (A).
      (3) Appeals
        Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including section
      2253 of title 28, in habeas corpus proceedings described in
      paragraph (1) before a circuit or district judge, the final order
      shall be subject to review, on appeal, by the United States Court
      of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. There shall be
      no right of appeal in such proceedings to any other circuit court
      of appeals.
      (4) Rule of decision
        The law applied by the Supreme Court and the United States
      Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit shall be
      regarded as the rule of decision in habeas corpus proceedings
      described in paragraph (1).
    (c) Statutory construction
      The provisions of this section shall not be applicable to any
    other provision of this chapter.



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