United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

United States v. Campos-Serrano, 404 U.S. 293 (1971)

United States v. Campos-Serrano

No. 70-46

Argued October 14, 1971

Decided December 20, 1971

404 U.S. 293

Syllabus

Possession of counterfeit alien registration receipt card held not an act punishable under 18 U.S.C. § 1546, which prohibits, inter alia, the counterfeiting or alteration of, or the possession, use, or receipt of an already counterfeited or altered "immigrant or nonimmigrant visa, permit, or other document required for entry into the United States." The primary purpose of an alien registration receipt card is for identification within the United States, and its merely permissible reentry function under an Immigration and Naturalization service regulation does not suffice to bring the card within the coverage of the statute. There is a separate statutory provision specifically protecting the integrity of alien registration receipt cards, indicating that the Congress did not intend them to be covered by the more general language of § 1546. Pp. 295-301.

430 F.2d 173, affirmed.

STEWART, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which DOUGLAS, BRENNAN, and MARSHALL, JJ., joined. BLACKMUN, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which BURGER, C.J., and WHITE, J., joined, post, p. 404 U. S. 301.

Page 404 U. S. 294