MONTANEZ SOTO v. GARLAND (2021)

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.2021-09-17No. No. 19-71368

Summary · law.co

Holding. The petition for review was denied in part and dismissed in part. The court affirmed the BIA's denials of both the motion to reopen and the motion to reconsider, finding no abuse of discretion and rejecting claims of due process violation.

Carlos Javier Montanez Soto, a Mexican citizen, challenged the Board of Immigration Appeals' decisions denying his motion to reopen and motion to reconsider in his removal proceedings. The court examined whether the BIA abused its discretion and whether any due process violations occurred. The court found that the BIA properly denied the motion to reopen because it was filed beyond the 90-day deadline and Montanez Soto failed to show meaningful changes in conditions in Mexico that would qualify for an exception to the time restriction. Additionally, the BIA adequately explained its reasoning when it declined to reopen the case on its own initiative.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

Whether the BIA abused its discretion in denying a late motion to reopen
Whether failure to demonstrate material changes in country conditions disqualifies reopening
Whether denial of motion to reconsider without identification of legal or factual errors constitutes abuse of discretion
Whether due process was violated by denying opportunity to pursue Convention Against Torture relief

Procedural posture

Montanez Soto petitioned for review of the BIA's order denying his motion to reopen and motion to reconsider in removal proceedings.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion · public domain

MEMORANDUM **

Carlos Javier Montanez Soto, a native and citizen of Mexico, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order denying his motion to reopen and his motion to reconsider removal proceedings. Our jurisdiction is governed by 8 U.S.C. § 1252. We review for abuse of discretion the denial of a motion to reopen and reconsider. Mohammed v. Gonzales, 400 F.3d 785, 791 (9th Cir. 2005). We review de novo claims of due process violations in immigration proceedings. Jiang v. Holder, 754 F.3d 733, 738 (9th Cir. 2014). We deny in part and dismiss in part the petition for review.

The BIA did not abuse its discretion in denying Montanez Sotos motion to reopen as untimely where the motion was filed more than 90 days after the final order of removal, and where Montanez Soto failed to demonstrate a material change in country conditions in Mexico to qualify for the regulatory exception to the time limitation for filing a motion to reopen. See 8 C.F.R. §§ 1003.2(c)(2), (3)(ii); Najmabadi v. Holder, 597 F.3d 983, 990-91 (9th Cir. 2010) (BIA did not abuse its discretion in denying motion to reopen where petitioner failed to submit material evidence of qualitatively different country conditions).

To the extent Montanez Soto contends that the denial of his motion to reopen to apply for CAT relief would be a due process violation, his contention fails. Lata v. INS, 204 F.3d 1241, 1246 (9th Cir. 2000) (requiring error to prevail on a due process claim).

The BIA sufficiently explained its rationale in denying sua sponte reopening. Najmabadi, 597 F.3d at 990 (“What is required is merely that [the BIA] consider the issues raised, and announce its decision in terms sufficient to enable a reviewing court to perceive that it has heard and thought and not merely reacted.” (internal quotation marks and citation omitted)). Montanez Sotos contention that the BIA erred in denying sua sponte reopening for failure to demonstrate exceptional circumstances does not otherwise raise a legal or constitutional error to invoke our jurisdiction. See Bonilla v. Lynch, 840 F.3d 575, 588 (9th Cir. 2016) (“[T]his court has jurisdiction to review Board decisions denying sua sponte reopening for the limited purpose of reviewing the reasoning behind the decisions for legal or constitutional error.” (citation and internal quotation marks omitted)).

The BIA also did not abuse its discretion in denying Montanez Sotos motion to reconsider where he failed to identify any error of law or fact in the BIAs prior decision. See 8 C.F.R. § 1003.2(b)(1) (a motion to reconsider must identify errors of fact or law in a prior decision); Movsisian v. Ashcroft, 395 F.3d 1095, 1098 (9th Cir. 2005) (the BIA abuses its discretion if it acts arbitrarily, irrationally, or contrary to law); see also Granados-Oseguera v. Mukasey, 546 F.3d 1011, 1015-16 (9th Cir. 2008) (recognizing that failure to comply with a voluntary departure order renders an applicant statutorily ineligibility for cancellation of removal for 10 years).

The temporary stay of removal remains in place until issuance of the mandate.

PETITION FOR REVIEW DENIED in part; DISMISSED in part.