United States v. Garcia-Quintanilla

PRADO, Circuit Judge:

An immigration judge ordered Appellant Jose Garcia-Quintanilla, a Salvadoran native and citizen, removed to El Salvador. As a necessary step in his removal, Garcia-Quintanilla needed to interview with Salvadoran officials. He refused, however, to participate in such an interview, insisting that he would rather spend his life in a United States prison than return to El Salvador. As a result, Garcia-Quintanilla was convicted of failing to depart under 8 U.S.C. § 1253.

In light of Garcia-Quintanilla’s insistence that he would never cooperate in his removal, the district court…