N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
R UB EN R . R O SALES-GONZALEZ, AKA R ube n R osa le s, Pe t i tione r, v. JEFFER SON B . SESSIONS III, Attorne y Ge ne ra l, R e sponde nt. No. 15-71560 Age n c y No. A077-075-963
M EM O R ANDUM *

On Pe tition for Re vie w of a n Orde r of the B oa rd of Im m igration Appe a ls Subm itte d August 29, 2018 ** Pa sa de n a , C a l ifornia B e fore : WARDLAW , B YB EE, a nd IKUTA, C irc uit Judge s. R ube n R osa le s-Gonz a le z a ppe a ls the de te rm ination by the B oa rd of Im m i gration Appe a l s (B IA) that he wa s ine ligiblefor c anc e lla tion of re m o va l unde r 8 U.S.C
. § 1229b(a ). W e have jurisdic tion unde r 8 U.S.C . § 1252. 

# FIL ED OCT 10 2018 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U
. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public a t ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by Ninth C irc uit R

ule 36-3.

* * The pa

ne l una nim ously c onc lude s this c a se is suita ble for de c ision without ora l a

rgum e nt. Se e Fe d. R . App. P. 34(a )(2).R osa le s-Gonz a le z c ha lle nge s the B IA’ s de te rm i nation tha t he wa s not
e ligiblefor c anc e l lation of re m ova l be c a use he fa ile d to m e e t the re q uire m e nts of 8 U.S.C . § 1229b(a)(2). The B IA did not e rr in c o nc luding tha t R osa le s-Gonz a le z fa ile d to e sta

blish tha t he ha d re side d in the Unite d State s c ontinuously for se ve n y e ars. The IJ’ s c onc lusion tha t R osa le s-Gonz a l e z ’ s sole a dm ission to the Unite d Stat e s wa s on July

17, 2001, is supporte d by substa ntia l e v ide nc e . Fe we r tha n se ve n y e ars e l a

pse d be twe e n tha

t da te and April 22, 2004, the date of his
c onvic tion of distribution of m a rijua na unde r C olora d o R e vise d Statute se c tion 18- 18-406(8)(b)(I) (re pe a le d 2010). Tha t c onvic tion c onstitute d a

viola tion of a sta te la w “ re lating to a

c ontrolle d substa

nc e ,” re nde ring him

ina d m i ssible pursua

nt to 8 U.S.C . § 1182(a )(2)(A)(i)(II). Although a

pe rm ane nt re side nt not se e king a d m ission to the

Unite d State s is not “ re nde re d ina d

m issible ” by

c om m itting a qua lify ing offe nse unde r 8 U.S.C
. § 1182(a )(2), se e N

guy e n v . Se

ssions , — F.3d — , No. 17-70251, 2018 W L 4016761 (9th C ir. Aug. 23, 2018), this rule doe s not a

pply to a n a lie n who is
se e k ing a dm ission to the

Unite d State s, suc h a s R o sa l e s-Gonz a le z . The re c ord shows tha t on M ay 27, 2010, Rosa le s-Gonz a le z arrive d in the Unite d State s a nd
a pplie d for a dm i ssion a s a

la wful pe rm ane nt re s ide nt. R osa le s-Gonz a l e z wa s se rve d tha

t sa m e da y with a Notic e to Appe ar that ide n tifie d him a s an a rriving
2a lie n subje c t to re m ova l due to illic it tra ffic king in c ontrolle d substa nc e s . S e e 8 U.S.C . § 1101(a )(13)(C )(v) (providing tha t a la wful pe rm an e nt re side nt is
re ga rde d a s se e king a dm ission into the Unite d State s if the a lie n ha s c om m itte d a n offe nse ide ntifie d in 8 U.S.C
. § 1182(a )(2), inc luding a c rim e re lating to a
c ontrolle d substa

nc e ). W e do not a ddre ss R o sa le s-Gonz a le z ’ s a rgum e nt tha

t his C olora do drug
c onvic tion is not a

c a te g oric a l m a tc h for a

drug tra ffic king a g gravate d fe lony (and that the re fore he wa s not ine ligiblefor c an c e lla t ion of re m ova l unde r § 1229b(a )(3)), be c a

use the B IA did not ruleon tha t ground. Se e Lin v . Gonzale s , 472 F.3d 1131, 1133 (9th C ir. 2007)
. R osa le s-Gonz a le z ’ s a rgum e nts tha

t the gove rnm e nt ha d

the burde n to prove both tha t a wa ive r unde r 8 U.S.C . § 1182(h)
wa s ina pplic a ble and tha

t his c onvic tion did not fa ll into the pe rsona l use e x c e ption fa il be c a use he did not ra ise the m

be fore the B IA, and we the re fore la c k jurisdic tion to re a c h the m . S e e Alv arado v . Holde r , 759 F.3d 1121, 1127 (9th C ir. 2014). PE T IT IO N DE NIE D.

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