FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT O c t obe r 25, 2006 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 06- 11541 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ B I A N os . A 96- 282- 045 & A 96- 282- 046 D A I R O F A B I A N C A R D O N A , C L A U D I A L I L I A N A R E S T R E P O , P e titio n e r s , v ersu s U .S . A T T O RN E Y G E N E R A L , R e s p o n d e n t.

________________________ P e t i t i on f orR e vi e w of

aD e c i s i on of

the B o a r do f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls

_________________________ ( O c t ob e r 25, 2006) B efo re T JO F L A T , M A R C U S an dW IL S O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: D ai ro F abi an C ar do na, re pres ent i ng the i nt er es t s of hi m se l f and hi s w i fe , C l audi aL i l i a naR e s tr e po, pe t i t i ons thi s c ourtt o r e vi e w ( 1) the B oar d ofRevolutionary Armed F orce s of Colombia. 1 2 Im m i grat i on A pp ea l s’ (“ B IA ”) order a ff i rm i ng the Im m i grat i on Judg e’ s ( “ IJ ”) d e c i s i o n f

i n d i n g h i m r e mo v ab l e , an dd e n y i n g h i s ap p l i c a t i o n f o ra s y l u m, w i th h o l d i n g o f rem o v al , an drel i ef u n d er th e U n i t edN at i o n s C o n v en t i o n A g ai n st T orture ( “ C A T ”) , and (2) the B IA ’ s the deni alof hi s m ot i on t o re- op en re m ov al p ro ceed i n g s. C a r d o n a , an a tiv e a n dc itiz e n o f C o lo m b ia , S .A ., c o n te n d s th a t h is appl i c a t i on f

ora s y l um , w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l , a nd C A T pr ot e c t i on s houl d ha ve be e n gr a nt e d on the ba s i s of thr e a t s m a de upon hi m bygue r i l l aF A R C f or c e s f or 1 hi s r e f us a l t o l e tthe m us e hi s f a rm t o s t or e a rm s a nd f

e e d F A R C m e m be r s . T he A tt orney G ener alsubm i t s thatw e l ac k j uri sdi ct i on t o revi ew the B IA ’ s a ff i rm ance of the IJ ’ s dec i si on because C ar do na di d n otfi l e the i nst antpet i t i on for r evi ew w ith in 3 0 d a y s o f

th e B I A ’s f

in a l r e m o v a l o r d e r . W hether thi s c ou rthas j uri sdi ct i on ov era part i cul arca se i s aqu es t i on of l aw s ub je c t to p le n a ryr e v ie w . M a r s v . M o u n ts , 8 9 5 F .2 d1 3 4 8 , 1 3 5 1 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 0 ) . T i t l e 8 U . S . C . § 1252( b) ( 1) , w hi c h gove rns the f i l i ng de a dl i ne f

orpe t i t i ons f

or r e vi e w of

or de r s of

r e m ova l , r e qui r e s tha ts uc h pe t i t i ons be f i l e d “ notl a t e rthan 30 da y s a f t e rthe da t e of

the f i na l or de rof

r e m ova l . ” T he s t a tut oryt i m e l i m i tf orf i l i ng i s “ m anda t orya nd j ur i s di c t i ona l , ” a nd nots ubj e c tt o e qui t abl e t ol l i ng. D a kane v. U ni t e d S t a t e s A tt orne yG e ne r a l , 399 F . 3d 1269, 1272, n. 3 ( 11th C i r . 2004) , c i t i ng3

S to n e v . I N S , 5 1 4 U .S . 3 8 6 , 4 0 5 , 1 3 1 L . E d . 2 d4 6 5 , 1 1 5 S . C t. 1 5 3 7 ( 1 9 9 5 ) . F urthe rm or e , the f

i l i ng de a dl i ne i s nots us pe nde d ort ol l e d byape t i t i one r ’ s f i l i ng of am ot i on t o r e ope n the r e m ova l pr oc e e di ngs . I d. , c i t i ng S t one , 514 U . S . a t395. T h e B IA ’ s fi n al rem o v al o rd er i ssu edo n A u g u st3 1 , 2 0 0 5 . C ard o n a’ s p etit io n fo r r ev iew w as filedo n M ar ch 7 , 2 0 0 6 , w ell o v er3 0 d ay s later . C ar d o n a’s m ot i on t o r e c ons i de ra nd r e ope n di d nott ol l the s t a tut oryde a dl i ne , f orthe de a dl i ne i s notsubj ec tt o equ i t abl e t ol l i ng . W e there fore l ac k j uri sdi ct i on t o revi ew the fi nal order of re m ov al . C ar do na’ s pet i t i on i s t i m el y, ho w ever , as t o the B IA ’ s F ebruary 7 , 2 0 0 6 , o r d e rd e n y in g h is m o tio n to r e o p e n . C ar do na cont ends thathi s m ot i on t o reopen sho ul d h ave been grant ed b e c au s e th e d o c u m e n ts a tta c h e dto th e m o tio n in c lu d e dr e c e n t le tte r s n o t a v a ilab le athi s a sy l um hear i ng . C ar do na says thatthese re ce ntl ett er s, i ncl ud i ng se vera l that in d ic a te th e k illin g o f

an e ig h b o rw h o r e f

u s e dto c o o p e r a te w ith th e F A R C , in d ic a te the po t ent i aldang erhe w ou l d fac e i f r eturned t o C ol om bi a. W e r e vi e w the B I A ’ s de ni a l of am ot i on t o r e ope n f

orabus e of

di s c r e t i on. M e jiaR o d r ig u e z v . R e n o , 1 7 8 F .3 d1 1 3 9 , 1 1 4 5 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 9 ) . M o tio n s to r e ope n af

i na l r e m ova l or de rm us tbe f i l e d no l a t e rthan 90 da y s a f t e rthe da t e on w hi c h the f

i na l a dm i ni s tr a t i ve de c i s i on w a s r e nde r e d i n the pr oc e e di ng s oughtt o be r e o p e n e d . 8 C .F .R . § 1 0 0 3 .2 ( c ) ( 2 ) . A n e x c e p tio n to th e f ilin g d e a d lin e a r is e s if e v id e n c e o f

c h a n g e dc ir c u m s tan c e s in th e c o u n tryo f r e m o v a l b e c o m e s a v a ilab le ,4

the e vi de nc e i s m a t e r i a l , a nd the e vi de nc e c oul d notha ve be e n di s c ove r e d f or pres ent at i on atthe previ ou s heari ng . 8 C . F . R . § 1 00 3. 2(c) (3)( i i ). T he B IA ’ s f

i nal deci si on w as m ade on A ug ust31 , 20 05 , m eani ng that C a r d o n a ’s m o tio n to r e o p e n w o u ldh a v e b e e n du e o n N o v e m b e r2 9 , 2 0 0 5 . C a r donadi d notf

i l e hi s m ot i on unt i l D e c e m be r19, 2005. T hus , the B I A di d not abus e i t s di s c r e t i on i n f

i ndi ng tha tC ar dona ’ s m ot i on t o r e ope n w a s ba rr e d bythe tim e r e s tr ic tio n o n am o tio n to r e o p e n . F u rth e rm o r e , th e B I A d idn o t ab u s e its di s c r e t i on i n i t s f

i ndi ng tha tthe doc um e nt s a tt a c he d t o the m ot i on di d not c o n s titu te e v id e n c e o f

c h a n g e dc o u n tryc o n d itio n s a n dc o u ldh a v e b e e n p r e v io u s ly d i s c o v e r e d . Ea c h o f

th e s e d o c u me n t s r e l a t e s t o th e s a me p e r s e c u t i o n b yth e FA RC tha tC a r donade s c r i be d a thi s a s y l um he ar i ng and doe s note s t abl i s h ane xus betw ee n the F A R C ’ s a ct i on s and a prot ec t ed grou nd , e. g. , the appl i cant ’ s pol i t i ca l o p in io n . T h u s , th e B I A d idn o t ab u s e its d is c r e tio n in f in d in g th a t C ar d o n aw o u ld notl i ke l ys uc c e e d i n ar e ope ne d he ar i ng. I n s u m , w e d is m is s th e p e titio n in p art, an dd e n yth e p e titio n in p art. S O O R DE R E D.