Filed: Jun. 29, 2007
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT June 29, 2007 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 06-60519 Summary Calendar CECILIA CERNA DE CAMPBELL, Petitioner, versus ALBERTO R. GONZALES, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL, Respondent. - Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration Appeals BIA No. A44 466 158 - Before DAVIS, BARKSDALE, and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Cecilia Cerna De Campbell (Cerna) has filed a pe
Summary: United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit F I L E D IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT June 29, 2007 Charles R. Fulbruge III Clerk No. 06-60519 Summary Calendar CECILIA CERNA DE CAMPBELL, Petitioner, versus ALBERTO R. GONZALES, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL, Respondent. - Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration Appeals BIA No. A44 466 158 - Before DAVIS, BARKSDALE, and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* Cecilia Cerna De Campbell (Cerna) has filed a pet..
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United States Court of Appeals
Fifth Circuit
F I L E D
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT June 29, 2007
Charles R. Fulbruge III
Clerk
No. 06-60519
Summary Calendar
CECILIA CERNA DE CAMPBELL,
Petitioner,
versus
ALBERTO R. GONZALES, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL,
Respondent.
--------------------
Petition for Review of an Order of the
Board of Immigration Appeals
BIA No. A44 466 158
--------------------
Before DAVIS, BARKSDALE, and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
Cecilia Cerna De Campbell (Cerna) has filed a petition for
review of the decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)
denying her motion to terminate the removal proceedings to allow
her to pursue her application for naturalization. Cerna argues
that the Immigration Judge (IJ) and the BIA applied the incorrect
legal standard to determine that Cerna had not established her
prima facie eligibility for naturalization. Cerna argues that
the IJ and BIA erred in basing the decision on her two prior
convictions without considering the mitigating factors in her
*
Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that
this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except
under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR. R. 47.5.4.
No. 06-60519
-2-
case, including her status as a mother of three children, a wife,
a member of her community, a church member, an orphan, a foster
child, and a refugee. She also argues that the IJ and BIA erred
in relying on Matter of Cruz, 15 I. & N. Dec. 236 (BIA 1975),
because it is an irrational interpretation of 8 U.S.C. § 1429 and
8 C.F.R. § 1239.2(f).
Cerna has not shown that the BIA erred in denying her motion
to terminate the removal proceedings or used the incorrect legal
standard in denying her motion. Cerna has not shown that the BIA
erred in relying on Cruz, as this court has implicitly determined
that Cruz is a reasonable interpretation of the applicable
statutes and regulations even after the 1990 amendments to those
statutes. Bravo-Gallaga v. Ashcroft, 82 F. App’x 971 (5th Cir.
2003). Cerna has not shown that the IJ and BIA improperly
delegated their authority to the United States Citizenship
and Immigration Service (USCIS) to determine whether Cerna was
prima facie eligible for naturalization. To establish her
prima facie eligibility for naturalization, Cerna had to
establish, inter alia, that she had been a person of good moral
character for the five years immediately preceding the date of
her naturalization application pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1427(a)(3).
Contrary to Cerna’s argument, the USCIS’s determination of
whether Cerna had established good moral character was not an
improper or premature discretionary determination. See id.;
8 C.F.R. § 316.10(a). The USCIS stated that it reviewed Cerna’s
No. 06-60519
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entire file before making its determination of whether she was
prima facie eligible for naturalization. Because Cerna did not
establish her prima facie eligibility for naturalization, Cerna
has not shown that the BIA erred in denying her motion to
terminate the removal proceedings. Accordingly, Cerna’s petition
for review is DENIED.