`
`THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY
`
`
`SUN VALLEY ORCHARDS, LLC,
`
` Plaintiff,
`
` v.
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`U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, et al.,
`
`
` Defendants.
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` Case No. 1:21-cv-16625-JHR-MJS
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`DEFENDANTS’ MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF THEIR
`MOTION TO DISMISS, OPPOSITION TO PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR PARTIAL
`SUMMARY JUDGMENT, AND CROSS-MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT
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`Case 1:21-cv-16625-JHR-MJS Document 22-1 Filed 04/13/22 Page 2 of 54 PageID: 251
`
`TABLE OF CONTENTS
`
`INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1
`
`BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................. 3
`
`I.
`
`II.
`
`The H-2A framework. ............................................................................................ 3
`
`The Labor Department’s H-2A enforcement system. ............................................... 4
`
`III.
`
`Sun Valley’s H-2A violations and proceedings. ....................................................... 5
`
`LEGAL STANDARDS ................................................................................................... 7
`
`ARGUMENT .................................................................................................................. 8
`
`I.
`
`The Department of Labor’s adjudication does not violate Article III. ...................... 8
`
`A.
`
`B.
`
`The Department of Labor is not exercising “judicial Power” at all. ................ 8
`
`The Department of Labor is adjudicating only public rights that do not
`require an Article III tribunal. ..................................................................... 11
`
`C.
`
`Sun Valley impliedly consented to the Labor Department’s adjudication. .... 17
`
`II.
`
`The Department of Labor’s Administrative Law Judges do not violate the
`Appointments Clause or the President’s removal power. ....................................... 19
`
`A.
`
`B.
`
`Plaintiff has forfeited its Appointments Clause and removal claims by
`failing to raise them with the agency. .......................................................... 19
`
`Either by proper appointment or ratification, the ALJ in Sun Valley’s case
`did not violate the Appointments Clause. .................................................... 21
`
`C.
`
`Proper appointment also vitiates Plaintiff’s removal claim. .......................... 25
`
`D. The Department of Labor’s ALJs are permissibly protected from removal. ... 26
`
`The Department of Labor’s adjudicatory system is authorized by the statute and
`Plaintiff is not entitled to a trial de novo. .............................................................. 29
`
`The Department of Labor’s imposition of back pay and penalties is fully
`supported by the record and is neither arbitrary nor capricious. ............................. 34
`
`A.
`
`B.
`
`The Labor department properly awarded back wages and penalties
`for Sun Valley’s meal-plan and beverage violations. ..................................... 34
`
`The Labor Department reasonably found that Sun Valley improperly
`terminated nineteen workers in May 2015. .................................................. 37
`
`III.
`
`IV.
`
`i
`
`
`
`Case 1:21-cv-16625-JHR-MJS Document 22-1 Filed 04/13/22 Page 3 of 54 PageID: 252
`
`C.
`
`The Labor Department is fully authorized to assess back wages. .................. 38
`
`V.
`
`The Labor Department did not violate the Excessive Fines Clause. ....................... 39
`
`CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................. 40
`
`
`
`
`
`ii
`
`
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`Case 1:21-cv-16625-JHR-MJS Document 22-1 Filed 04/13/22 Page 4 of 54 PageID: 253
`
`CASES
`
`TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
`
`Ableman v. Booth,
`62 U.S. (21 How.) 506 (1859) ....................................................................................... 9
`
`Advanced Disposal Servs. E., Inc. v. NLRB,
`820 F.3d 592 (3d Cir. 2016) ................................................................................... 22, 23
`
`Am. Bioscience, Inc. v. Thompson,
`269 F.3d 1077 (D.C. Cir. 2001) ..................................................................................... 7
`
`Am. Steamship Owners Mut. Prot. & Indem. Ass’n, Inc. v. United States,
`489 F. Supp. 3d 106 (E.D.N.Y. 2020) ........................................................................... 8
`
`Amin. v. Mayorkas,
`24 F.4th 383 (5th Cir. 2022) ........................................................................................ 33
`
`Anderson v. Yungkau,
`329 U.S. 482 (1947) .................................................................................................... 31
`
`Apple Inc. v. Voip-Pal.com, Inc.,
`976 F.3d 1316 (Fed. Cir. 2020) ................................................................................... 39
`
`Arizona v. United States,
`567 U.S. 387 (2012) .................................................................................................... 14
`
`Atlas Roofing Co. v. Occupational Safety & Health Rev. Comm’n,
`430 U.S. 442 (1977) ............................................................................................... passim
`
`Bd. of Trs. of Univ. of Ill. v. United States,
`289 U.S. 48 (1933) ...................................................................................................... 13
`
`Beard v. Braunstein,
`914 F.2d 434 (3d Cir. 1990) ........................................................................................ 15
`
`Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly,
`550 U.S. 544 (2007) ...................................................................................................... 7
`
`Bennett v. Panama Canal Co.,
`475 F.2d 1280 (D.C. Cir. 1973) ................................................................................... 31
`
`Bowsher v. Synar,
`478 U.S. 714 (1986) .................................................................................................... 26
`
`Bureau of Consumer Fin. Prot. v. Fair Collections & Outsourcing, Inc.,
`2020 WL 7043847 (D. Md. Nov. 30, 2020) ................................................................. 22
`
`iii
`
`
`
`Case 1:21-cv-16625-JHR-MJS Document 22-1 Filed 04/13/22 Page 5 of 54 PageID: 254
`
`Camp v. Pitts,
`411 U.S. 138 (1973) .................................................................................................... 33
`
`Carr v. Saul,
`141 S. Ct. 1352 (2021) ........................................................................................... 19, 21
`
`CFPB v. Gordon,
`819 F.3d 1179 (9th Cir. 2016) ..................................................................................... 23
`
`CFPB v. Seila Law LLC,
`997 F.3d 837 (9th Cir. 2021) ....................................................................................... 25
`
`CFTC v. Schor,
`478 U.S. 833 (1986) ............................................................................................... 13, 17
`
`Chicago & S. Air Lines v. Waterman S.S. Corp.,
`333 U.S. 103 (1948) ...................................................................................................... 9
`
`Citizens to Preserve Overton Park, Inc. v. Volpe,
`401 U.S. 402 (1971) .................................................................................................... 33
`
`City of Arlington v. FCC,
`569 U.S. 290 (2013) .................................................................................................... 10
`
`Collins v. Yellen,
`141 S. Ct. 1761 (2021) ............................................................................................. 2, 25
`
`Conn. Nat’l Bank v. Germain,
`503 U.S. 249 (1992) .................................................................................................... 31
`
`Crowell v. Benson,
`285 U.S. 22 (1932) ........................................................................................... 10, 11, 16
`
`Dareth T. v. Kijakazi,
`2022 WL 671540 (C.D. Cal. Mar. 7, 2022) ............................................................. 22, 25
`
`Decker Coal Co. v. Pehringer,
`8 F.4th 1123 (9th Cir. 2021) ................................................................................... passim
`
`Deron Sch. of N.J., Inc. v. U.S. Dep’t of Agric.,
`2012 WL 13187163 (D.N.J. July 16, 2012) .................................................................. 33
`
`FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project,
`141 S. Ct. 1150 (2021) ........................................................................................... 34, 37
`
`Fed. Mar. Comm’n v. S.C. State Ports Auth.,
`535 U.S. 743 (2002) .................................................................................................... 28
`
`iv
`
`
`
`Case 1:21-cv-16625-JHR-MJS Document 22-1 Filed 04/13/22 Page 6 of 54 PageID: 255
`
`Free Enter. Fund v. Pub. Co. Acct. Oversight Bd.,
`561 U.S. 477 (2010) ............................................................................................... passim
`
`Free Enter. Fund v. Pub. Co. Acct. Oversight Bd.,
`537 F.3d 667 (D.C. Cir. 2008) ..................................................................................... 28
`
`Gibbons v. Ogden,
`22 U.S. (9 Wheat.) 1 (1824) ................................................................................... 13, 14
`
`Gonzalez Boisson v. Pompeo,
`2020 WL 4346913 (D.D.C. July 29, 2020) .................................................................. 34
`
`Gordon v. United States,
`117 U.S. 697 (1864) ...................................................................................................... 9
`
`Granfinanciera, S.A. v. Nordberg,
`492 U.S. 33 (1989) ................................................................................................. 12, 15
`
`Guedes v. ATF,
`920 F.3d 1 (D.C. Cir. 2019) ........................................................................................ 24
`
`Halo Elecs., Inc. v. Pulse Elecs., Inc.,
`579 U.S. 93 (2016) ...................................................................................................... 31
`
`Hayburn’s Case,
`2 U.S. (2 Dall.) 408 (1792) ............................................................................................ 9
`
`Hepner v. United States,
`213 U.S. 103 (1909) .................................................................................................... 32
`
`In re Tribe Media Co.,
`902 F.3d 384 (3d Cir. 2018) ........................................................................................ 18
`
`Kalaris v. Donovan,
`697 F.2d 376 (D.C. Cir. 1983) ..................................................................................... 10
`
`Kingdomware Techs., Inc. v. United States,
`579 U.S. 162 (2016) .................................................................................................... 31
`
`Klotz v. Celentano Stadtmauer & Walentowicz LLP,
`991 F.3d 458 (3d Cir. 2021) .......................................................................................... 7
`
`Kovaco v. Rockbestos-Surprenant Cable Corp.,
`834 F.3d 128 (2d Cir. 2016) ........................................................................................ 24
`
`Lloyd Sabaudo Societa Anonima Per Azioni v. Elting,
`287 U.S. 329 (1932) ............................................................................................... 14, 17
`
`v
`
`
`
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`
`Lucia v. SEC,
`138 S. Ct. 2044 (2018) ................................................................................................ 21
`
`Marshall Cnty. Health Care Auth. v. Shalala,
`988 F.2d 1221 (D.C. Cir. 1993) ..................................................................................... 8
`
`Mason v. United States,
`84 U.S. (17 Wall.) 67 (1873) ......................................................................................... 8
`
`McKinney v. Wormuth,
`5 F.4th 42 (D.C. Cir. 2021) ......................................................................................... 32
`
`McMunn v. Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Grp., Inc.,
`869 F.3d 246 (3d Cir. 2017) ........................................................................................ 31
`
`Mendoza v. Perez,
`754 F.3d 1002 (D.C. Cir. 2014) ..................................................................................... 4
`
`Michele T. v. Comm’r of Soc. Sec.,
`--- F. Supp. 3d ---, 2021 WL 5356721 (W.D. Wash. Nov. 17, 2021) .............................. 25
`
`Morrison v. Olson,
`487 U.S. 654 (1988) ......................................................................................... 24, 27, 29
`
`Murray’s Lessee v. Hoboken Land & Imp. Co.,
`59 U.S. (18 How.) 272 (1855) ................................................................................ 12, 14
`
`Myers v. United States,
`272 U.S. 52 (1926) ................................................................................................. 26, 29
`
`N. Pipeline Constr. Co. v. Marathon Pipe Line Co.,
`458 U.S. 50 (1982) ...................................................................................................... 17
`
`Nat’l Wildlife Fed’n v. Sec’y of the U.S. Dep’t of Transp.,
`960 F.3d 872 (6th Cir. 2020) ....................................................................................... 31
`
`Neto v. Thompson,
`506 F. Supp. 3d 239 (D.N.J. 2020) ............................................................................. 7, 8
`
`Neustar, Inc. v. FCC,
`857 F.3d 886 (D.C. Cir. 2017) ..................................................................................... 33
`
`NVE, Inc. v. Dep’t of Health & Hum. Servs.,
`436 F.3d 182 (3d Cir. 2006) ................................................................................... 33, 34
`
`Oceanic Steam Nav. Co. v. Stranahan,
`214 U.S. 320 (1909) .................................................................................................... 14
`
`vi
`
`
`
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`
`Oil States Energy Servs., LLC v. Greene’s Energy Grp., LLC,
`138 S. Ct. 1365 (2018) ........................................................................................... passim
`
`Overdevest Nuseries, L.P. v. Walsh,
`2 F.4th 977 (D.C. Cir. 2021) ...................................................................................... 1, 3
`
`Pajazetovic v. City of Utica,
`2021 WL 4440473 (N.D.N.Y. Sept. 27, 2021) ............................................................. 24
`
`Patchak v. Zinke,
`138 S. Ct. 897 (2018) .................................................................................................. 11
`
`Penasquitos Vill., Inc. v. NLRB,
`565 F.2d 1074 (9th Cir. 1977) ..................................................................................... 38
`
`Perry Cap. LLC v. Mnuchin,
`864 F.3d 591 (D.C. Cir. 2017) ..................................................................................... 31
`
`Pharaon v. Bd. of Governors of Fed. Rsrv. Sys.,
`135 F.3d 148 (D.C. Cir. 1998) ..................................................................................... 39
`
`Phoenix Herpetological Soc’y, Inc. v. United States Fish & Wildlife Serv.,
`998 F.3d 999 (D.C. Cir. 2021) ..................................................................................... 33
`
`Plaut v. Spendthrift Farm, Inc.,
`514 U.S. 211 (1995) ....................................................................................... 8, 9, 10, 11
`
`Ruiz v. Fernandez,
`2012 WL 1442556 (E.D. Wash. 2012) ...................................................................... 4, 16
`
`Sanofi-Aventis U.S., LLC v. U.S. Dep’t of Health & Hum. Servs.,
`--- F. Supp. 3d ---, 2021 WL 5150464 n.46 (D.N.J. Nov. 5, 2021) ............................ 10, 14
`
`Seila Law LLC v. CFPB,
`140 S. Ct. 2183 (2020) ................................................................................................ 26
`
`Shane Meat Co. v. U.S. Dep’t of Def.,
`800 F.2d 334 (3d Cir. 1986) ........................................................................................ 38
`
`Sims v. Apfel,
`530 U.S. 103 (2000) .................................................................................................... 19
`
`Sodexo-MAGIC, LLC v. Drexel Univ.,
`24 F.4th 183 (3d Cir. 2022) ........................................................................................... 7
`
`Stern v. Marshall,
`564 U.S. 462 (2011) ............................................................................................... passim
`
`vii
`
`
`
`Case 1:21-cv-16625-JHR-MJS Document 22-1 Filed 04/13/22 Page 9 of 54 PageID: 258
`
`Swisher v. Brady,
`438 U.S. 204 (1978) ...................................................................................................... 8
`
`Takahashi v. Fish & Game Comm’n,
`334 U.S. 410 (1948) .................................................................................................... 14
`
`Thomas v. Union Carbide Agric. Prod. Co.,
`473 U.S. 568 (1985) ......................................................................................... 10, 13, 16
`
`Tillman v. Lebanon Cty. Corr. Facility,
`221 F.3d 410 (3d Cir. 2000) ........................................................................................ 40
`
`Toll v. Moreno,
`458 U.S. 1 (1982) ....................................................................................................... 14
`
`U.S. ex rel. Marcus v. Hess,
`317 U.S. 537 (1943) .................................................................................................... 32
`
`United States v. Arthrex, Inc.,
`141 S. Ct. 1970 (2021) ................................................................................................ 24
`
`United States v. Bajakajian,
`524 U.S. 321 (1998) .................................................................................................... 39
`
`United States v. Cheeseman,
`600 F.3d 270 (3d Cir. 2010) ................................................................................... 39, 40
`
`United States v. Ferreira,
`54 U.S. (13 How.) 40 (1851) ......................................................................................... 9
`
`United States v. Jackson,
`964 F.3d 197 (3d Cir. 2020) ........................................................................................ 31
`
`United States v. Perkins,
`116 U.S. 483 (1886) .................................................................................................... 26
`
`Weinstein v. Albright,
`261 F.3d 127 (2d Cir. 2001) ........................................................................................ 31
`
`Wellness Int’l Network, Ltd. v. Sharif,
`575 U.S. 665 (2015) .................................................................................................... 18
`
`Weyerhaeuser Co. v. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Serv.,
`139 S. Ct. 361 (2018) .................................................................................................. 31
`
`Wiener v. United States,
`357 U.S. 349 (1958) .................................................................................................... 28
`
`viii
`
`
`
`Case 1:21-cv-16625-JHR-MJS Document 22-1 Filed 04/13/22 Page 10 of 54 PageID: 259
`
`Wilkes-Barre Hosp. Co., LLC v. NLRB,
`857 F.3d 364 (D.C. Cir. 2017) ..................................................................................... 22
`
`Wnuck v. Comm’r,
`136 T.C. 498 (T.C. 2011) ............................................................................................ 39
`
`Zirnsak v. Colvin,
`777 F.3d 607 (3d Cir. 2014) ........................................................................................ 38
`
`STATUTES
`
`5 U.S.C. § 301 ..................................................................................................... 24, 29, 30
`
`5 U.S.C. § 556 ................................................................................................................ 33
`
`5 U.S.C. § 706 ....................................................................................................... 7, 32, 33
`
`5 U.S.C. § 1202 .............................................................................................................. 27
`
`5 U.S.C. § 7521 .............................................................................................................. 27
`
`8 U.S.C. § 1101 ................................................................................................................ 3
`
`8 U.S.C. § 1188 ......................................................................................................... passim
`
`28 U.S.C. § 2461 ................................................................................................. 30, 31, 32
`
`28 U.S.C. § 3001 ............................................................................................................ 32
`
`RULES
`
`Fed. R. Civ. P. 56 ............................................................................................................. 7
`
`REGULATIONS
`
`20 C.F.R. § 655.100 .......................................................................................................... 3
`
`20 C.F.R. § 655.103 .......................................................................................................... 4
`
`20 C.F.R. § 655.121 .......................................................................................................... 3
`
`20 C.F.R. § 655.122 ........................................................................................... 3, 4, 35, 37
`
`20 C.F.R. § 655.130 .......................................................................................................... 3
`
`20 C.F.R. § 655.135 .......................................................................................................... 4
`
`29 C.F.R. part 18 ............................................................................................................ 20
`
`ix
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`
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`29 C.F.R. § 18.10 ........................................................................................................ 5, 20
`
`29 C.F.R. § 18.12 ........................................................................................................... 20
`
`29 C.F.R. § 18.14 ........................................................................................................... 20
`
`29 C.F.R. § 18.20 ........................................................................................................... 20
`
`29 C.F.R. § 18.50 ........................................................................................................... 20
`
`29 C.F.R. §§ 18.50-18.65 ................................................................................................... 5
`
`29 C.F.R. § 18.60 ........................................................................................................... 20
`
`29 C.F.R. § 18.61 ........................................................................................................... 20
`
`29 C.F.R. § 18.63 ........................................................................................................... 20
`
`29 C.F.R. § 18.64 ........................................................................................................... 20
`
`29 C.F.R. § 18.65 ........................................................................................................... 20
`
`29 C.F.R. § 18.70 ........................................................................................................ 5, 20
`
`29 C.F.R. § 18.72 ........................................................................................................ 5, 20
`
`29 C.F.R. § 18.80 ........................................................................................................ 5, 20
`
`29 C.F.R. § 18.101 ..................................................................................................... 20, 33
`
`29 C.F.R. §§ 101 et seq. .................................................................................................... 20
`
`29 C.F.R. §§ 501 et seq. .................................................................................................... 18
`
`29 C.F.R. § 501.0 et seq. .................................................................................................. 14
`
`29 C.F.R. § 501.15 ............................................................................................................ 4
`
`29 C.F.R. § 501.16 ....................................................................................................... 5, 39
`
`29 C.F.R. § 501.19 ....................................................................................................... 5, 36
`
`29 C.F.R. § 501.20 ............................................................................................................ 5
`
`29 C.F.R. § 501.31 ............................................................................................................ 5
`
`29 C.F.R. § 501.32 ............................................................................................................ 5
`
`29 C.F.R. § 501.33 ................................................................................................. 5, 18, 20
`
`x
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`
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`29 C.F.R. § 501.34 ................................................................................................. 5, 20, 33
`
`29 C.F.R. § 501.35 ............................................................................................................ 5
`
`29 C.F.R. § 501.41 ....................................................................................................... 5, 36
`
`29 C.F.R. § 501.42 ................................................................................................. 5, 11, 30
`
`29 C.F.R. § 531.31 .......................................................................................................... 35
`
`Secretary’s Order 01-2020,
`85 Fed. Reg. 13187 (Mar. 6, 2020) ................................................................ 5, 11, 24, 30
`
`UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION
`
`U.S. Const. art. I, § 8 ................................................................................................. 13, 14
`
`U.S. Const. art. II, § 1 ..................................................................................................... 26
`
`U.S. Const. art. II, § 2 ................................................................................................ 21, 26
`
`U.S. Const. art. II, § 3 ..................................................................................................... 26
`
`U.S. Const. art. III, § 8 ..................................................................................................... 8
`
`OTHER AUTHORITIES
`
`Alexander Schultz, Sovereign Immunity and the Two Tiers of Article III,
`29 Geo. Mason L. Rev. 287 (2021) ............................................................................... 9
`
`Antonin Scalia & Bryan A. Garner, Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts
`112 (2012) .................................................................................................................. 31
`
`Black’s Law Dictionary (11th ed. 2019) ........................................................................... 39
`
`Caleb Nelson, Adjudication in the Political Branches,
`107 Colum. L. Rev. 559 (2007) ................................................................................ 8, 14
`
`Gary Lawson, The Rise and Rise of the Administrative State,
`107 Harv. L. Rev. 1231 (1994) .................................................................................... 11
`
`H.R. Rep. No. 99-682 (1986), as reprinted in 1986 U.S.C.C.A.N. 5649 ................................ 1
`
`John Harrison, Public Rights, Private Privileges, and Article III,
`54 Ga. L. Rev. 143 (2019) ...................................................................................... 14, 17
`
`Neomi Rao, Removal: Necessary and Sufficient for Presidential Control,
`65 Ala. L. Rev. 1205 (2014) ........................................................................................ 28
`
`xi
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`
`
`Case 1:21-cv-16625-JHR-MJS Document 22-1 Filed 04/13/22 Page 13 of 54 PageID: 262
`
`The Federalist No. 81 (J. Cooke ed. 1961) ......................................................................... 9
`
`William Baude, Adjudication Outside Article III,
`133 Harv. L. Rev. 1511 (2020) .................................................................... 10, 11, 14, 17
`
`William Baude, The Judgment Power,
`96 Geo. L.J. 1807 (2008) ..................................................................................... 8, 9, 10
`
`xii
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`
`INTRODUCTION
`
`Under Congress’s foreign-commerce and immigration-related powers, “[t]he United
`
`States has long provided temporary work authorization for foreign agricultural workers.”
`
`Overdevest Nurseries, L.P. v. Walsh, 2 F.4th 977, 980 (D.C. Cir. 2021). To that end, the “H–2
`
`program, in one form or another, has been an element of U.S. immigration policy since the
`
`1940’s.”1 H.R. Rep. No. 99-682(I), at 50 (1986), as reprinted in 1986 U.S.C.C.A.N. 5649,
`
`5654. And since 1986, Congress has tasked the Secretary of Labor with regulating the H-2A
`
`program and “tak[ing] such actions, including imposing appropriate penalties” as “may be
`
`necessary to assure” compliance with the program. 8 U.S.C. § 1188(g)(2). Now, after more
`
`than 35 years of implementation, Plaintiff Sun Valley contends that the Labor Department’s
`
`enforcement regime—which uses administrative law judges (ALJs) to adjudicate H-2A viola-
`
`tions—contravenes Articles II and III of the Constitution. See Pl.’s Mem. in Supp. of Partial
`
`Summ. J. (Pl.’s Mot.) at 1–2, ECF No. 19-1. Sun Valley never raised those constitutional
`
`objections in four years of litigation before the agency, and the Court should reject them now.
`
`Nothing about the Labor Department’s adjudicatory regime implicates Article III.
`
`Agency judges, unlike Article III judges, do not issue binding judgments in the Article III
`
`sense, so they are not unconstitutionally exercising “judicial Power.” And regardless, there
`
`are only public rights—not private rights—at issue here. The Supreme Court has never found
`
`an Article III violation in a government-enforcement action against a private actor. To the
`
`contrary, “Congress has often created new statutory obligations, provided for civil penalties
`
`for their violation, and committed exclusively to an administrative agency the function of
`
`deciding whether a violation has in fact occurred.” Atlas Roofing Co. v. Occupational Safety &
`
`Health Rev. Comm’n, 430 U.S. 442, 450 (1977). And even if none of that were true, Plaintiff
`
`impliedly consented to agency adjudication, which resolves any Article III issue.
`
`
`1 The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 separated the H-2 program into
`two temporary-worker programs: H-2A for agricultural workers and H-2B for non-agricul-
`tural workers.
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`1
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`Case 1:21-cv-16625-JHR-MJS Document 22-1 Filed 04/13/22 Page 15 of 54 PageID: 264
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`Nor are there any Article II problems. For starters, Plaintiff forfeited these claims by
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`failing to raise them with the agency. But, in any event, the Secretary of Labor properly
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`appointed the ALJ who handled Sun Valley’s case before she issued her decision. So either
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`by proper appointment or by ratification of her own decisions—not to mention affirmation of
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`her decision by the Labor Department’s appellate tribunal—there was no Appointments
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`Clause violation. This also resolves Plaintiff’s removal-power claim because “there is no rea-
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`son to regard any of the actions taken by the” ALJ “as void” if there is no Appointments
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`Clause violation. Collins v. Yellen, 141 S. Ct. 1761, 1787 (2021). And even if the Court reaches
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`the merits of Plaintiff’s removal-power claim, the good-cause removal restriction on ALJs is
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`straightforwardly allowable because it is the President—or the Secretary of Labor he can re-
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`move at will—who “decide[s] whether the officer’s conduct merit[s] removal under the good-
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`cause standard.” Free Enter. Fund v. Pub. Co. Acct. Oversight Bd., 561 U.S. 477, 495 (2010).
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`Plaintiff’s remaining claims fare no better. The Secretary has full auth