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Alfaro v. Gonzales

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Mar 13, 2006
170 F. App'x 487 (9th Cir. 2006)

Opinion

Submitted March 9, 2006.

This panel unanimously finds this case suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R.App. P. 34(a)(2).

NOT FOR PUBLICATION. (See Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure Rule 36-3)

Alexander N. Lopez, Esq., Law Office of Alexander N. Lopez, Glendale, CA, for Petitioners.

Regional Counsel, Western Region Immigration & Naturalization Service, Laguna Niguel, CA, Ronald E. Lefevre, Chief Legal Officer, Office of the District Counsel Department of Homeland Security, San Francisco, CA, Margaret J. Perry, Jennifer Lightbody, DOJ-U.S. Department of Justice Civil Div./Office of Immigration Lit., Washington, DC, for Respondent.


On Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration Appeals. Agency: Nos. A75-707-806, A74-433-124.

Page 488.

Before WARDLAW and RAWLINSON, Circuit Judges, and CEBULL, District Judge.

The Honorable Richard F. Cebull, United States District Judge for the District of Montana, sitting by designation.

MEMORANDUM

This disposition is not appropriate for publication and may not be cited to or by the courts of this circuit except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.

Jose Alfaro, a citizen of El Salvador, and his wife, Esmeralda Herrera, a citizen of Mexico, petition for review of a decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) affirming without opinion the decision by the Immigration Judge denying their application for cancellation of removal based upon failure to establish exceptional and extremely unusual hardship.

1. We lack jurisdiction to review the discretionary determination of hardship, but we have jurisdiction to review Petitioners' constitutional due process claims. See Martinez-Rosas v. Gonzales, 424 F.3d 926, 930 (9th Cir.2005). However, the asserted due process claim that the IJ failed to apply the correct legal standard to their application for cancellation of removal is without merit, as the IJ explicitly found that petitioners failed to establish that removal would result in exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to any of their United States citizen children. See id. "[T]raditional abuse of discretion challenges recast as alleged due process violations do not constitute colorable constitutional claims that would invoke our jurisdiction." Id.

2. The BIA's refusal to accept Petitioners' untimely brief was not a violation of their due process rights because they had adequate notice of the filing requirements and due date for the brief, were apprised of the procedure for requesting an extension, and did not provide a reasonable explanation for failure to do so within the time prescribed. See Singh v. Gonzales, 416 F.3d 1006, 1014-15 (9th Cir.2005) (finding no due process violation when the appeal was dismissed by the BIA because the alien failed to file a brief or request an extension after receiving notice of the filing requirements).

3. Petitioners' challenge to the BIA's summary affirmance procedure is foreclosed by Falcon Carriche v. Ashcroft, 350 F.3d 845, 852 (9th Cir.2003).

4. The voluntary departure period the INS granted petitioners will expire upon issuance of the mandate. See Desta v. Ashcroft, 365 F.3d 741, 750 (9th Cir.2004).

PETITION DISMISSED in part, DENIED in part.


Summaries of

Alfaro v. Gonzales

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Mar 13, 2006
170 F. App'x 487 (9th Cir. 2006)
Case details for

Alfaro v. Gonzales

Case Details

Full title:Jose ALFARO and Esmeralda Herrera, Petitioners, v. Alberto R. GONZALES…

Court:United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Date published: Mar 13, 2006

Citations

170 F. App'x 487 (9th Cir. 2006)