# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls

For the Eig hth Circu it

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _

No. 1 3- 35 97

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _

Zach ary Mak wor o M og en i

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Peti ti on er

v.

Eric H. Hold er, J r., Att or ne y Gene ral of t he Uni te d S ta te s

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Resp on de nt

__ __ __ __ __ __

Pet it io n fo r Rev ie w of a n Ord er o f th e Bo ard of I m

m ig rat io n Ap pe al s

__ __ __ __ __ __

Su bm it te d: Nov em

be r 10 , 20 14
Fil ed : M arch 9, 2 01 5

__ __ __ __ __ __

Befo re MUR PHY, MELLOY, an d B ENTON, Ci rcu it Ju dg es

.

__ __ __ __ __ __
MELLOY, Circu it Ju dg e.

Zach ary Mo ge ni is a Ken y an ci ti zen who en t ered th e Uni te d St at es as a

no n- im m ig ran t vi si to r au th or iz ed to st ay fo r si x m on th s. Afte r Mo ge ni rem ai ne d in

th e Uni te d S ta te s fo r lo ng er t ha n a ut ho riz ed , th e Dep art m en t o f Hom el an d Secu rit y pl aced Mo ge ni in to rem ov al pr oc eed in gs

. Fro m 20 07 to 20 12

, an im m ig rat io n jud ge

gr an te d Mo ge ni twel ve co nt in ua nc es

. The IJ reject ed a th irt een th co nt in ua nc e a nd

or de red Mo ge n i t o be rem ov ed fro m th e Uni te d St at es

. Mo ge ni ap pe al ed

, an d th eBo ard of Im

m ig rat io n App eal s affi rm ed th e IJ 's or de r. Fo r th e reas on s st at ed be lo w,
we affi rm

.

I.

Mo ge n i is a na ti ve Ken y an ci ti zen

. In Decem be r 20 02

, Mo ge ni en te red th e
Uni te d St at es as a no n- im m ig ran t vi si to r au th or iz ed to st ay fo r si x m on th s. On Ju ne

11

, 20 03

, Mo ge ni m arri ed Geo rg et te By ers , a U.S. ci ti zen

. B ye r s fil ed an I-1 30

Pet it io n fo r Ali en Rel at iv e on Mo ge ni 's be ha lf. The Dep art m en t of Hom el an d

Secu rit y de ni ed th e pe ti ti on , fin di ng th at th e m arri ag e was a sh am en te red in to fo r an

im m ig rat io n be ne fit

. Neit he r By ers no r Mo ge ni ap pe al ed th e DHS's de ci si on

. By ers

an d M og en i d iv or ced in Decem be r 20 04

.

In Mar ch 20 05

, ap pr ox im at el y th ree m on th s aft er hi s di v or ce fro m By ers , Mo ge ni m arri ed Tracy Gul li e, an ot he r U.S. ci ti zen

. In Nov em be r 20 06

, Gul li e fil ed

an I-1 30 pe ti ti on on Mo ge ni 's be ha lf. Bec au se th e DHS p r e v i o u sl y fo un d Mo ge ni

ha d ent ered in to a sh am m arri ag e to ob ta in an im m ig rat io n ben efi t, the DHS de ni ed

th e se co nd I-1 30 pe ti ti on

. Mo ge ni ap pe al ed th e DHS's de ci si on

. The reco rd do es no t

co nt ai n th e res ul ts of th e ap pe al

. Iren e Gate re, Mo ge ni 's da ug ht er fro m a p r e v i ou s

m arri ag e in Kenya, als o fi le d a n I- 13 0 p et it io n o n M og en i's be ha lf. 1

In De c e mb e r 20 06 , t he DHS in it ia te d rem ov al pr oc eed in gs ag ai ns t Mo ge ni

. 2

The DHS cha rg ed Mo ge ni as an al ie n who rem ai ne d in th e Uni te d Stat es for lo ng er

th an au th or iz ed un de r § 23 7( a)(1 )(B) of th e Im m ig rat io n an d Nati on al it y Act, 8

U.S.C. § 12 27 (a)( 1) (B). Mo ge ni ap pe ared wit h th e as si st an ce of co un se l be fo re th e

IJ an d co nc ed ed rem ov ab il it y

. Howev er, M o g e n i req ue st ed a co nt in ua nc e of th e

Gate re was na tu ral iz ed in Nov em be r 20 10

. 1

Mo ge ni 's no n- im m ig ran t vi si to r st at us au th or iz ed hi m to rem ai n in th e Uni te d 2

St at es un ti l M ay

31 , 20 03

.

- 2 -rem ov al pr oc ee di ng s pe nd in g th e res ul ts of hi s I-1 30 pe ti ti on s. Bet ween 20 07 an d

20 12 , th e IJ gra nt ed Mo ge ni twel ve co nt in ua nc es

.

On Feb ru ary 12

, 20 12

, th e IJ d e n i e d Mo ge ni 's th irt een th req ue st fo r a

co nt in ua nc e, fin di ng th at Mo ge ni di d no t de m on st rat e "g oo d cau se ." See 8 C.F.R.
§ 10 03 .29

. The IJ no te d th at be c a u s e o f t h e DHS's sh am m arri ag e de te rm in at io n, § 20 4( c) of th e I N A

— i nt en de d to pr oh ib it th e ap pr ov al of a pe ti ti on fo r an al ie n
who se pr io r m arri ag e was de te rm in ed to ha ve be en en te red in to fo r th e pu rp os e of

ev ad in g im m ig rat io n la ws— di m in is he d Mo ge ni 's li ke li ho od of su cces s on ei th er

pe nd in g I-1 30 pe ti ti on

. 8 U

. S .C. § 11 54 (c). Mo ge ni ap pe al ed th e IJ 's or de r to th e

BIA.

The BIA affi rm ed th e IJ 's de ni al of a co nt in ua nc e, fin di ng th at Mo ge ni fai le d

to de m on st rat e go od cau se

. Lik e th e IJ

, th e BIA no te d th at a "k ey co ns id erat io n" in

de ci di ng a m ot io n fo r a co nt in ua nc e ba se d on a pe nd in g I

- 1 3 0 pe ti ti on is th e

li ke li ho od of su cces s. And be cau se of th e DHS's sh am m arri ag e de te rm in at io n, th e

m arri ag e frau d st at ut e, § 2 04 (c), s ig ni fic an tl y "h in de rs th e li ke li ho od of th e [I-1 30 ]

pe ti ti on 's su cces s." The BIA t he refo re co nc lu de d th at it was un li ke ly Mo ge ni 's

pe nd in g a pp li cat io ns wou ld be ap pr ov ed

. Mo ge ni ti m el y fil ed th is ap pe al

, ch al le ng in g t he de ni al of h is req ue st for a th irt een th co nt in ua nc e.

II.

W e rev ie w th e BIA's de ni al of a m ot io n to co nt in ue fo r an ab us e of di sc ret io n.

See Thi m

ran v

. H o l d e r , 59 9 F.3 d 84 1, 84 5 (8 th Ci r. 20 10 ). Dur in g rem ov al

pr oc eed in gs , an IJ m ay gr an t a m ot i o n t o c o n t i nu e fo r go od cau se

. 8 C.F.R.
§ 1 00 3.2 9.

W e ho ld th at th e BIA di d n o t a b u se it s di sc ret io n whe n it affi rm ed th e IJ 's

de ni al of Mo ge ni 's m ot io n t o c on ti nu e. Mo ge ni ask ed th e IJ an d t he BIA to gran t a

- 3 -co nt in ua nc e of th e rem ov al pr oc eed in gs pe nd in g th e res ol ut io n of hi s I-1 30 pe ti ti on s.

An im po rta nt co ns id erat io n in de te rm i n in g whe th er to gr an t a st ay of rem ov al

pr oc eed in gs pe nd in g th e res ol ut io n of an I-1 30 pe ti t i on is th e li ke li ho od of th e

pe ti ti on 's su cces s. See Thi m ran , 59 9 F.3 d at 84 5; In re Has hm i, 24 I. & N. Dec. 78 5,

79 0 (BIA 20 09 ) (fi nd in g th at th e fo cu s of th e in qu iry as to whe th er an IJ sh ou ld gr an t

a co nt in ua nc e of rem ov al pr oc eed in gs is ba se d on th e li ke li ho od th at th e ad jus tm en t

of im m ig rat io n st at us wil l be gr an te d)

. B e c a u s e th e DHS de te rm in ed Mo ge ni

pr ev io us ly en te red in to a sh am m arri ag e, § 20 4( c) su bs ta nt ia ll y hi nd ers th e li ke li ho od

of su cces s.

Sect io n 2 04 (c) s ta te s i n re le va nt pa rt:

no pe ti ti on [fo r ad

jus tm en t of st at us ] sh al l be ap pr ov ed if (1 ) th e al ie n ha s pr ev io u s l y be en acco rd ed

, or ha s so ug ht to be acco rd ed

, an im m ed ia te rel at iv e or pr efer en ce st at us as th e sp ou se of a ci ti zen of th e Uni te d St at es or th e sp ou se of an al ie n la wfu ll y ad m it te d fo r pe rm an en t

res id en ce, by reas on of a m arri ag e de te rm in ed by th e Att or ne y Gen eral

to ha ve be en en te red in to fo r th e pu rp os e of ev ad in g th e im m ig r a ti on la ws, or (2 ) th e Att or ne y Gen eral ha s de te rm in ed th at th e al i e n ha s

a tt em pt ed or co ns pi red to en te r in to a m arri ag e fo r th e pu rp os e o f

ev ad in g t he im m ig rat io n l aws

.

Mo ge ni di d no t ap pe al th e D HS's sh am -m arri ag e de te rm in at io n. Thu s, it is li ke ly

Mo ge ni 's pe nd in g I-1 30 pe ti ti on s wil l be de ni ed as a res ul t of Mo ge ni 's pr ev io us
sh am m arri ag e.

Mo reo ve r, "[t ]he IJ tra d i t io na ll y ha s di sc ret io n to av oi d un du ly pr ot ract ed

pr oc eed in gs ." Thi m

ran , 59 9 F.3 d at 84 5 (in te rn al qu ot at io n m ark s omi tt ed ). In

Thi m ran , th is Co ur t fo un d th at it was no t an ab us e of di sc ret i o n f o r an IJ to de ny a

co nt in ua nc e "af

te r m ul ti pl e I-1 30 pe ti ti on s were de ni ed

, th e cas e ha d be en co nt in ue d

fo r ov er two y ears , an d Mr. Thi m ran pr es en te d no ob vi ou sl y m eri to rio us gr ou nd s fo r

- 4 -ap pe al ." Id

. In ou r cas e, Mo ge ni was gr an te d twel ve co nt in ua nc es ov er a sp an of fiv e

y ears an d h as fai le d t o p res en t an y m eri to rio us gro un ds for ap pe al

.

W e aff irm. The BI A di d n ot ab us e it s d is cret io n.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

- 5 -