Filed: May 01, 2007
Latest Update: Feb. 12, 2020
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 06-1681 FASIL ATLE DESTA, Petitioner, versus ALBERTO R. GONZALES, Respondent. On Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration Appeals. (A97-204-006) Submitted: March 14, 2007 Decided: May 1, 2007 Before NIEMEYER, MICHAEL, and MOTZ, Circuit Judges. Petition denied by unpublished per curiam opinion. Linda A. Dominguez, L A Dominguez Law, LLC, Baltimore, Maryland, for Petitioner. Rod J. Rosenstein, United States At
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 06-1681 FASIL ATLE DESTA, Petitioner, versus ALBERTO R. GONZALES, Respondent. On Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration Appeals. (A97-204-006) Submitted: March 14, 2007 Decided: May 1, 2007 Before NIEMEYER, MICHAEL, and MOTZ, Circuit Judges. Petition denied by unpublished per curiam opinion. Linda A. Dominguez, L A Dominguez Law, LLC, Baltimore, Maryland, for Petitioner. Rod J. Rosenstein, United States Att..
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UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 06-1681
FASIL ATLE DESTA,
Petitioner,
versus
ALBERTO R. GONZALES,
Respondent.
On Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration
Appeals. (A97-204-006)
Submitted: March 14, 2007 Decided: May 1, 2007
Before NIEMEYER, MICHAEL, and MOTZ, Circuit Judges.
Petition denied by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Linda A. Dominguez, L A Dominguez Law, LLC, Baltimore, Maryland,
for Petitioner. Rod J. Rosenstein, United States Attorney, Larry
D. Adams, Assistant United States Attorney, Baltimore, Maryland,
for Respondent.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM:
Fasil Atle Desta, a native and citizen of Ethiopia,
petitions for review of an order of the Board of Immigration
Appeals (“Board”) adopting and affirming the immigration judge’s
order denying his applications for asylum, withholding of removal,
and protection under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). Desta
challenges the immigration judge’s findings that his asylum
application was untimely and that he did not establish eligibility
for withholding of removal or protection under CAT. Desta also
questions whether the Board erred in adopting and affirming the
immigration judge’s order without specifying the reasons for its
decision.
The timeliness of an alien’s asylum application is
usually a question of fact. See Mehilli v. Gonzales,
433 F.3d 86,
93 (1st Cir. 2005). On May 11, 2005, Congress enacted the Real ID
Act, which added a new subsection to the judicial review
provisions. This subsection stated that discretionary and factual
determinations are outside the jurisdiction of the court of
appeals. 8 U.S.C.A. § 1252(a)(2)(D) (West 2005); see also Vasile
v. Gonzales,
417 F.3d 766, 768 (7th Cir. 2005). The exception to
this provision is for constitutional claims or questions of law
raised by aliens seeking discretionary relief. Higuit v. Gonzales,
433 F.3d 417, 419 (4th Cir.), cert. denied,
126 S. Ct. 2973 (2006).
Because Desta has not raised a constitutional or legal claim as to
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the immigration judge’s decision that his asylum application was
untimely, we do not have jurisdiction to review Desta’s asylum
claim.
Additionally, we uphold the immigration judge’s denial of
Desta’s request for withholding of removal. “Because the burden of
proof for withholding of removal is higher than for asylum--even
though the facts that must be proved are the same--an applicant who
is ineligible for asylum is necessarily ineligible for withholding
of removal under [8 U.S.C.] § 1231(b)(3).” Camara v. Ashcroft,
378
F.3d 361, 367 (4th Cir. 2004). Because we find Desta would not be
able to show that he is eligible for asylum based on the record
presented, we find he cannot meet the higher standard for
withholding of removal.
We also hold that Desta fails to meet the standard for
relief under the Convention Against Torture. To obtain such
relief, an applicant must establish that “it is more likely than
not that he or he would be tortured if removed to the proposed
country of removal.” 8 C.F.R. § 1208.16(c)(2) (2004). We find
that Desta fails to make the requisite showing.
Finally, Desta asserts the BIA erred in adopting and
affirming the immigration judge’s decision without stating what
factual and legal assessments were relied on. We find no
indication that Desta did not receive a full and fair review by the
Board.
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Accordingly, we deny the petition for review for the
reasons stated by the Board. We dispense with oral argument
because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in
the materials before the court and argument would not aid the
decisional process.
PETITION DENIED
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