From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

Vongsayadeth v. Holder

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
Apr 24, 2015
600 F. App'x 552 (9th Cir. 2015)

Opinion

No. 11-71486

04-24-2015

NANH VONGSAYADETH, Petitioner, v. ERIC H. HOLDER, JR., Attorney General, Respondent.


NOT FOR PUBLICATION

Agency No. A099-634-044 MEMORANDUM On Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration Appeals Submitted April 7, 2015 Honolulu, Hawaii Before: TASHIMA, N.R. SMITH, and FRIEDLAND, Circuit Judges.

This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.

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

Nanh Vongsayadeth appeals from the Board of Immigration Appeals' ("BIA") decision denying her application for adjustment of status. The BIA found that Vongsayadeth was eligible for adjustment of status under 8 U.S.C. § 1255, but denied adjustment as a matter of discretion. Under 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(2)(B)(i), we lack jurisdiction to review a discretionary denial of adjustment of status.

In general, "the decision to deny [an] application for adjustment of status is a discretionary determination, and is therefore unreviewable." Bazua-Cota v. Gonzales, 466 F.3d 747, 748 (9th Cir. 2006) (per curiam) (citing 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(2)(B)(I)). While "[t]his court retains jurisdiction over petitions for review that raise colorable constitutional claims or questions of law," a petitioner may not attack a discretionary decision simply by phrasing her arguments as a legal challenge. Id. at 748-49. Vongsayadeth challenges only the BIA's determination that her testimony was not credible. A credibility determination is a finding of fact, Rizk v. Holder, 629 F.3d 1083, 1087 (9th Cir. 2011), and "courts lack jurisdiction to review factual determinations underlying adjustment-of-status decisions," Carrillo de Palacios v. Holder, 708 F.3d 1066, 1071 (9th Cir. 2013) (quoting Morales-Izquierdo v. Dep't of Homeland Sec., 600 F.3d 1076, 1084 (9th Cir. 2010)). Because Vongsayadeth has not presented a legal challenge to the BIA's discretionary denial of adjustment of status, we lack jurisdiction.

We therefore dismiss the petition for review.

DISMISSED.


Summaries of

Vongsayadeth v. Holder

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
Apr 24, 2015
600 F. App'x 552 (9th Cir. 2015)
Case details for

Vongsayadeth v. Holder

Case Details

Full title:NANH VONGSAYADETH, Petitioner, v. ERIC H. HOLDER, JR., Attorney General…

Court:UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

Date published: Apr 24, 2015

Citations

600 F. App'x 552 (9th Cir. 2015)