Filed: Jul. 28, 2011
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FILED FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS U.S. _ ELEVENTH CIRCUIT JULY 28, 2011 No. 11-10038 JOHN LEY Non-Argument Calendar CLERK _ Agency No. A097-491-774 HILARIA VELASQUEZ, llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Petitioner, versus U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL, llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Respondent. _ Petition for Review of a Decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals _ (July 28, 2011) Before TJOFLAT, CARNES and FAY, Circui
Summary: [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FILED FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS U.S. _ ELEVENTH CIRCUIT JULY 28, 2011 No. 11-10038 JOHN LEY Non-Argument Calendar CLERK _ Agency No. A097-491-774 HILARIA VELASQUEZ, llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Petitioner, versus U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL, llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Respondent. _ Petition for Review of a Decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals _ (July 28, 2011) Before TJOFLAT, CARNES and FAY, Circuit..
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[DO NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FILED
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS
U.S.
________________________ ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
JULY 28, 2011
No. 11-10038 JOHN LEY
Non-Argument Calendar CLERK
________________________
Agency No. A097-491-774
HILARIA VELASQUEZ,
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Petitioner,
versus
U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL,
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Respondent.
________________________
Petition for Review of a Decision of the
Board of Immigration Appeals
________________________
(July 28, 2011)
Before TJOFLAT, CARNES and FAY, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
Hilaria Velasquez, a native and citizen of Mexico proceeding pro se,
petitions for review of the BIA’s order denying her motion to reopen her removal
proceedings. Velasquez argues that the BIA should have granted her motion to
reopen because she presented new, material evidence regarding her mental health
problems and deteriorating country conditions in Mexico. Velasquez also
contends that the denial of her motion violated her right to due process. For the
reasons stated below, we dismiss the petition for review in part and deny it in part.
I.
As an initial matter, we must consider whether we may exercise jurisdiction
over Velasquez’s petition for review. We review our own subject matter
jurisdiction de novo. Martinez v. U.S. Att’y Gen.,
446 F.3d 1219, 1221 (11th Cir.
2006). We lack jurisdiction to consider the BIA’s discretionary determination that
an alien has failed to establish eligibility for cancellation of removal, but we retain
jurisdiction to consider constitutional claims or questions of law. INA
§ 242(a)(2)(B)(i), (a)(2)(D), 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(2)(B)(i), (a)(2)(D);
Martinez, 446
F.3d at 1221–22.
We have explained that we may not review an order denying a motion to
reopen if we also would lack jurisdiction to review the underlying order of
removal. Patel v. U.S. Att’y Gen.,
334 F.3d 1259, 1262 (11th Cir. 2003). In Patel,
the petitioner was charged with being removable due to a conviction for an
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aggravated felony.
Id. at 1260 Patel initially waived his right to a hearing and
consented to removal, but later moved to reopen his case.
Id. at 1260-61. After
the BIA denied the motion to reopen, Patel petitioned for review of the BIA’s
decision.
Id. at 1261.
We observed that our authority to review an order denying a motion to
reopen was implicit in 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(1), which authorizes Courts of Appeals
to review final orders of removal.
Id. We then recognized that our jurisdiction
under § 1252(a)(1) was limited by the provisions of § 1252(a)(2)(C), which
provides that no court may review a final order of removal that is based on an
alien’s conviction for an aggravated felony.
Id. at 1262. We concluded, “Just as
this jurisdiction-stripping provision would have deprived us of jurisdiction to
entertain an attack on the final order of removal if Patel had chosen to contest
removal, so, too, it strips us of jurisdiction to entertain an attack on that order
mounted through filing of a motion to reopen.”
Id.
Recently, the Supreme Court explained that federal courts generally have
jurisdiction to review orders denying motions to reopen. Kucana v. Holder, 558
U.S. ___, ___,
130 S. Ct. 827, 840,
175 L. Ed. 2d 694 (2010). In so holding,
however, the Supreme Court reserved judgment as to whether a court may review
a motion to reopen if it would lack jurisdiction to review the petitioner’s
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underlying claim for relief. Id. at ___, 130 S.Ct. at 839 n.17. Thus, Kucana does
not affect the validity of Patel, which remains binding precedent in this Circuit.
See United States v. Archer,
531 F.3d 1347, 1352 (11th Cir. 2008) (explaining that
a published decision of this Court “is binding on all subsequent panels unless and
until it is overruled or undermined to the point of abrogation by the Supreme
Court or by this court sitting en banc.”).
Our reasoning in Patel dictates the outcome of this case. Had Velasquez
sought review of the BIA’s original order denying her application for cancellation of
removal, 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(2)(B)(i) would have deprived us of jurisdiction to
consider her petition. Therefore, § 1252(a)(2)(B)(i) also precludes us from reviewing
Velasquez’s attempt to challenge that order through a motion to reopen. See
Patel,
334 F.3d at 1262. Accordingly, to the extent that Velasquez is arguing that the BIA
abused its discretion by denying her motion to reopen, we must dismiss the petition
for lack of jurisdiction.
III.
As noted above, the jurisdictional limitations in 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(2) do
not preclude us from reviewing constitutional or legal claims. 8 U.S.C.
§ 1252(a)(2)(D);
Martinez, 446 F.3d at 1221–22. Therefore, we may consider the
merits of Velasquez’s due process claim. To establish a due process violation, an
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alien must show that she was deprived of liberty without due process of law, and
that she suffered substantial prejudice. Scheerer v. U.S. Att’y Gen.,
513 F.3d
1244, 1253 (11th Cir. 2008). Purely discretionary forms of relief do not create a
protected liberty interest, and, thus, the denial of such relief can never violate due
process.
Id.
In this case, Velasquez has not established a due process violation. A motion
to reopen is a discretionary form of relief that does not give rise to a protected liberty
interest. See 8 C.F.R. 1003.2(a) (“The Board has discretion to deny a motion to
reopen even if the party moving has made out a prima facie case for relief.”);
Scheerer, 513 F.3d at 1253. As a result, Velasquez cannot show that the BIA’s denial
of that motion violated due process. See
id. Accordingly, we deny the petition for
review with respect to Velasquez’s due process claim.
PETITION DISMISSED IN PART, DENIED IN PART.
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