Demore v. Kim, 538 U.S. 510, 46 (2003)

Page:   Index   Previous  39  40  41  42  43  44  45  46  47  48  49  50  51  52  53  Next

Cite as: 538 U. S. 510 (2003)

Opinion of Souter, J.

necessary to avoid the risk of flight or danger to the community," ibid.10

Hence the Zadvydas dissent's focus on "whether there are adequate procedures" allowing "persons once subject to detention to show that through rehabilitation, new appreciation of their responsibilities, or under other standards, they no longer present special risks or danger if put at large." Ibid.; see also id., at 722-723. Indeed, there is further support for Kim's claim in the dissent's view that the process afforded to removable aliens like Zadvydas and Ma "[went] far toward th[e] objective" of satisfying procedural due process, id., at 722; 11 that process stands in stark contrast to the total ab-10 In support of its standard, the dissent relied on a report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which likewise countenanced detention only "in cases of necessity" and stated, under a heading entitled "Guideline 3: Exceptional Grounds for Detention":

"There should be a presumption against detention. Where there are monitoring mechanisms which can be employed as viable alternatives to detention, (such as reporting obligations or guarantor requirements . . .), these should be applied first unless there is evidence to suggest that such an alternative will not be effective in the individual case. Detention should therefore only take place after a full consideration of all possible alternatives, or when monitoring mechanisms have been demonstrated not to have achieved the lawful and legitimate purpose." United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Revised Guidelines on Applicable Criteria and Standards Relating to the Detention of Asylum Seekers (Feb. 1999) (hereinafter Detention Guidelines) (emphasis in original), cited in Zadvydas, 533 U. S., at 721 (opinion of Kennedy, J.).

The High Commissioner also referred to the "minimum procedural guarante[e]" for a detainee "either personally or through a representative, to challenge the necessity of the deprivation of liberty at the review hearing, and to rebut any findings made." Detention Guidelines, Guideline 5: Procedural Safeguards.

11 The scheme considered in Zadvydas did not provide review immediately after the removability determination; the dissent noted that custody review hearings usually occurred within three months of a transfer to a postorder detention unit, with further reviews annually or more frequently if the alien requested them. 533 U. S., at 722-723. But the lag was fitted to the circumstances. In the usual case, removal in fact would

555

Page:   Index   Previous  39  40  41  42  43  44  45  46  47  48  49  50  51  52  53  Next

Last modified: October 4, 2007