FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT M ay 5, 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. 05- 12422 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ B I A N o. A 95- 223- 020 J O H N W I L F R E D O L A V E R D E G O N Z A L E Z , P e titio n e r , v ersu s U .S . A T T O R N E Y G E N E R A L , R e s p o n d e n t.

________________________ P e ti ti on forR e vi e w of

aD e c i s i on of

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

_________________________ ( M ay 5, 2006) B efo re A N D E R S O N , B IR C H an d W IL S O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: J ohn W i l f

r e do L a ve r de G onz a l e z ( “ L a ve r de ” ) , ana ti ve a nd c i ti z e n of C ol om bi a , thr ough c ouns e l , pe ti ti ons us forr e vi e w of the B oar d of

I m m i gr a ti on A pp ea l s’ s ( “ B IA ’ s” ) orderdenyi ng hi s m ot i on t o rec on si der i t s s um m ary2

a f f i r m a nc e of

the I m m i gr a ti on J udge ’ s ( “ I J ’ s ” ) de ni a l of hi s appl i c a ti ons for a s y l um a nd w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l , a nd r e l i e f

unde rthe U ni t e d N a ti ons C onve nti on A ga i ns tT or tur e a nd O the rC rue l , I nhum a n, orD e gr a di ng T r e a tm e ntor P uni s hm e nt( “ C A T ” ) , w hi c h w e r e f i l e d pur s ua ntt o 8 U . S . C . §§ 1158, 1231 a nd 8 C .F .R . § 2 0 8 .1 6 ( c ) , a n d in w h ic h L a v e r d e c la im e d th a t h e h a d b e e n p e r s e c u te d in C ol om bi aby the R e vol uti onar y A r m e d F or c e s of C ol om bi a( “ F A R C ” ) , on a c c ount o f h is p o litic a l o p in io n a n d m e m b e r s h ip in th e C o n s e r v a tiv e P ar ty . O n ap p e a l, L av er d e c h allen g es (1 ) th e m er it s o f th e I J’s d en ial o f r elief, (2 ) th e B IA ’s s um m ar y a f

f i r m a nc e of

the I J ’ s or de r , a nd ( 3) the B I A ’ s de ni a l of hi s m oti on for r e c o n s id e r a tio n . W e m usti nq ui re sua s po nt e i nt o subj ec t -m att erj uri sdi cti on w henever i tm ay b e la c k in g . C ad et

v. B ulger , 37 7 F . 3d 11 73 , 11 79 (11th C i r. 20 04 ). A peti ti on er h a s 3 0 d a y s f

r o m th e d a te o f

th e f in a l o r d e ro f

r e m o v a l to s e e kr e v ie w in o u rC o u r t. 8 U . S . C . § 1252( a ) ( 1) , ( b) ( 1) . “ S i nc e the s t a tut or y l i m i tforf i l i ng ape ti ti on for r e vi e w i n a n i m m i gr a ti on pr oc e e di ng i s ‘ m a nda t or y a nd j ur i s di c ti ona l , ’ i ti s not subj ec tt o equ i t abl e t ol l i ng . ” D akane v . U . S. A t t ’ y G e n. , 3 9 9 F .3 d 1 2 6 9 , 1 2 7 2 n .3 ( 11th C i r . 2005) ( pe rc ur i a m ) . T he de a dl i ne w a s nots us pe nde d ort ol l e d by L aver de’ s f

i l i ng of a m ot i on t o rec on si der w i thi n 3 0 d ay s of the fi nal re m ov al o r d e r ’s is s u a n c e . Se e i d. B e c a us e L a ve r de fa i l e d t o f i l e ati m e l y pe ti ti on for r e v ie w o f

th e B I A ’s f

in a l o r d e ro f

r e m o v a l, w e la c kju r is d ic tio n to c o n s id e rh is3

ar g u m en ts to th e e x ten t th ey ch allen g e th e m er it s o f th e I J’s o rd ero r th e B IA ’s f i na l or de rof

r e m ova l . T he r e for e , w e di s m i s s tha tpor ti on of L a ve r de ’ s pe ti ti on for r e v i e w. R e gar di ng the B I A ’ s de ni a l of hi s m oti on forr e c ons i de r a ti on, L a ve r de ar gue s tha tthe B I A e rr e d by ( 1) c onc l udi ng tha the ha d r a i s e d no ar gum e nt s on ap p eal w h i ch w o u l d h av e cau sed i tt o rev erse th e IJ’ s d eci si o n , (2 ) fai l i n g t o u se i nde pe nde ntj udgm e nti n i t s de c i s i on, a nd ( 3) fa i l i ng t o c ons i de ra l l of the r e l e va nt evi dence. W e r e vi e w the B I A ’ s de ni a l of am oti on t o r e c ons i de rfora n abus e of d is c r e tio n . A s s a’ ad v . U . S. A tt ’ y G e n. , 3 3 2 F .3 d 1 3 2 1 , 1 3 4 1 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 3 ) . M ot i on s t o rec on si der are di sfavored, es peci al l y i n a re m ov alproceedi ng , “ w here , a s age ne r a l m a tt e r , e ve r y de l a y w orks t o the a dva nt a ge of the de por t abl e a l i e n w ho w i shes m er el y t o rem ai n i n the U ni t ed S t at es . ” I.N.S . v . D o h e r ty , 502 U . S . 314, 32 3, 11 2 S . C t . 71 9, 72 4-25 , 11 6 L . E d. 2d 82 3 (19 92 ). A m ot i on t o rec on si der m us ts pe c i f

y “ the e rr or s of

fa c torl a w i n the pr i or[ B I A ] de c i s i on a nd s ha l l be supp ort ed by perti nentautho ri ty. ” 8 C . F . R . § 1 00 3. 2(b)(1). L aver de’ s argum ent s i n h i s m ot i on for r ec on si dera ti on w er e argum ent s that he e i the rm a de , ors houl d ha ve m a de , i n hi s i ni ti a l br i e f be for e the B I A . L a ve r de ge ne r a l l y ar gue s on appe a l tha tthe B I A fa i l e d t o us e “ i t s ow n i nde pe nde nt j udgm e nt . ” H ow e ve r , he ha s fa i l e d t o c i t e t o l e ga l a uthor i ty ors uppor ti n the4

r e c o r d fo rth is ar g u m e n t. Se e Zaf arv . U . S. A t t '

y G e n. , 4 2 6 F .3 d 1 3 3 0 , 1 3 3 6 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) ( r e

je c tin g c o n s titu tio n a l c h a lle n g e w h e r e p e titio n e r s n e ith e rc ite d to l egalautho ri ty, no r s up po rti n the re cord, for thei r c hal l enge). L aver de al so ar gu es th a t th e I J e rr e d in f

in d in g th a t h e is n o t ar e f u g e e . H o w e v e r , in h is b r ie f to th is C o u r t, h e p o in ts to little in th e r e c o r d th a t e s tab lis h e s c le ar ly h is s ta tu s a s ar e f u g e e . I n d e e d , in h is m o tio n fo rr e c o n s id e r a tio n , L a v e r d e d o e s n o t c ite to th e r e c o r d a t a ll. T hus , L a ve r de di d nots pe c i f y a ny “ e rr or s of

fa c torl a w i n the pr i or[ B I A ] de c i s i on [thatw er e] supp ort ed by perti nentautho ri ty. ” See 8 C .F .R . § 1 0 0 3 .2 ( b ) ( 1 ) . T he r e for e , the B I A di d notabus e i t s di s c r e ti on i n de ny i ng L a ve r de ’ s m oti on for r e c ons i de r a ti on. A c c or di ngl y , w e de ny thi s por ti on of L a ve r de ’ s pe ti ti on for r e v i e w. PETI TI O N D I SM I SSED I N PA R T, D EN I ED I N PA R T.