Filed: Jan. 23, 2020
Latest Update: Mar. 03, 2020
Summary: CLD-092 NOT PRECEDENTIAL UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT _ No. 19-3736 _ JOSE SERRANO-ARIAS, Petitioner v. ATTORNEY GENERAL UNITED STATES OF AMERICA _ On Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration Appeals (Agency No. A205-829-261) Immigration Judge: Charles M. Honeyman _ Submitted for Possible Summary Action Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 27.4 and I.O.P. 10.6 January 16, 2020 Before: JORDAN, KRAUSE, and MATEY, Circuit Judges (Opinion filed January 23, 2020 )
Summary: CLD-092 NOT PRECEDENTIAL UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT _ No. 19-3736 _ JOSE SERRANO-ARIAS, Petitioner v. ATTORNEY GENERAL UNITED STATES OF AMERICA _ On Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration Appeals (Agency No. A205-829-261) Immigration Judge: Charles M. Honeyman _ Submitted for Possible Summary Action Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 27.4 and I.O.P. 10.6 January 16, 2020 Before: JORDAN, KRAUSE, and MATEY, Circuit Judges (Opinion filed January 23, 2020 ) _..
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CLD-092 NOT PRECEDENTIAL
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT
___________
No. 19-3736
___________
JOSE SERRANO-ARIAS,
Petitioner
v.
ATTORNEY GENERAL UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
____________________________________
On Petition for Review of an Order of the
Board of Immigration Appeals
(Agency No. A205-829-261)
Immigration Judge: Charles M. Honeyman
____________________________________
Submitted for Possible Summary Action
Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 27.4 and I.O.P. 10.6
January 16, 2020
Before: JORDAN, KRAUSE, and MATEY, Circuit Judges
(Opinion filed January 23, 2020 )
_________
OPINION*
_________
PER CURIAM
Jose Serrano-Arias petitions for review of an order of the Board of Immigration
*
This disposition is not an opinion of the full Court and pursuant to I.O.P. 5.7 does not
constitute binding precedent.
Appeals (BIA) denying his motion for reconsideration. The Government has filed a
motion for summary disposition. We will grant the motion and deny the petition for
review.
I.
Serrano-Arias, a Mexican citizen, entered the United States in 2001. In 2013, he
was charged with removability under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(6)(A)(ii) because he had entered
the country without being admitted or paroled. Serrano-Arias conceded removability but
applied for cancellation of removal under 8 U.S.C. § 1229b(b). An Immigration Judge
(IJ) denied relief, concluding that Serrano-Arias failed to show that he was eligible for
cancellation of removal. On April 25, 2018, the BIA affirmed the IJ’s decision and
dismissed Serrano-Arias’s appeal. He did not petition this Court for review of that ruling.
On October 20, 2019, Serrano-Arias filed a motion for reconsideration with the
BIA.1 He argued that, in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Pereira v. Sessions,
138 S. Ct. 2105 (2018), he could now establish eligibility for cancellation of removal.
The BIA rejected this argument and denied the motion for reconsideration.
Serrano-Arias timely filed a petition for review. The Government now moves the
Court for summary disposition of the petition.
II.
We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(1). We review the BIA’s decision
1
The BIA deemed the motion timely.
2
denying reconsideration for abuse of discretion. See Pllumi v. Att’y Gen.,
642 F.3d 155,
158 (3d Cir. 2011). The purpose of a motion to reconsider is to “request that the Board
reexamine its decision in light of additional legal arguments, a change of law, or perhaps
an argument or aspect of the case which was overlooked.” Castro v. Att’y Gen.,
671 F.3d
356, 364 (3d Cir. 2012); see also 8 C.F.R. § 1003.2(b)(1). Summary action is appropriate
if there is no substantial question presented in the petition for review. See 3d Cir. L.A.R.
27.4; 3d Cir I.O.P. 10.6.
III.
In his motion for reconsideration, Serrano-Arias asked the BIA to reexamine its
decision affirming the IJ’s determination that he was ineligible for cancellation of
removal under 8 U.S.C. § 1229b(b). Pursuant to § 1229b(b), a nonpermanent resident is
eligible for cancellation of removal if he: (1) has been physically present for a continuous
period of not less than ten years; (2) has been a person of good moral character during
that time; (3) has not been convicted of certain enumerated criminal offenses; and (4)
demonstrates that removal would result in exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to
the alien’s spouse, parent, or child, who is a citizen of the United States or a lawful
permanent resident. 8 U.S.C. § 1229b(b)(1)(A)-(D). Serrano-Arias told the Board that
the IJ denied relief in part because he had failed to meet the continuous-physical-presence
requirement. Serrano-Arias argued that the IJ’s ruling in this regard, as affirmed by the
BIA, has been called into question by the Supreme Court’s decision in Pereira concerning
the “stop time” rule applicable to the continuous-physical-presence requirement.
3
Contrary to Serrano-Arias’s contention, however, the IJ did not deny his
cancellation-of-removal application because he failed to satisfy the continuous-physical-
presence requirement. Rather, the IJ denied the application because he failed to satisfy a
separate requirement—that his removal would result in “extremely unusual hardship” to
his citizen children. Therefore, the Supreme Court’s decision in Pereira is irrelevant to
his case. Because Serrano-Arias did not allege any other errors of fact or law in his
motion for reconsideration, the BIA acted within its discretion in denying relief.
In response to the Government’s motion for summary disposition, Serrano-Arias
challenges that BIA’s April 25, 2018 decision affirming the IJ’s denial of his application
for cancellation of removal; specifically, he argues that the BIA erred originally in
affirming the IJ’s hardship findings. Serrano-Arias did not, however, timely petition this
Court for review of the BIA’s April 25, 2018 decision. Therefore, we lack jurisdiction to
review it. See Stone v INS,
514 U.S. 386, 405-06 (1995).
IV.
Because the petition for review does not present a substantial question, we will
grant the Government’s motion for summary disposition and deny the petition for review.
4