FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC UIT FEB RUARY 14, 2007 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ 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 os . 06- 10355, 06- 12777 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ B I A N o. A 74- 643- 213 C E S A R L E O N I D E S , P e titio n e r , 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.

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I m m i gr a t i on A ppe a l s tha tde ni e d L e oni de s ’ s m ot i on t o r e c ons i de ra nd c o n s tru e d L e o n id e s ’s m o tio n to v a c a te a n o r d e ro f d e p o rta tio n a s am o tio n to re op en and d eni ed thatm ot i on as nu m er i ca l l y barre d. B ec ause L eoni des ab a n d o n e d h is a r g u m e n t w ith r e g a r dto th e m o tio n to r e c o n s id e ra n dth e B I A d id notabus e i t s di s c r e t i on w he n i tc ons true d L e oni de s ’ s m ot i on t o va c a t e a s am ot i on to r e o p e n a n d d e n ie d it, w e d e n yth e p e titio n s . I n 1997, a n i n abs e nt i aor de rof de port a t i on w a s e nt e r e d a ga i ns tL e oni de s f or h a v in g e n te r e d th e U n ite d S ta te s w ith o u t in s p e c tio n . S e e 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 2 7 ( a ) ( 1 ) ( B ) . O n N ove m be r9, 2004, m or e tha n s e ve n y e a r s a f t e rthe e ntryof

the de port a t i on o r d e r , L e o n id e s f

ile d am o tio n to r e s c in dth e o r d e ro f d e p o rta tio n . S e e 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 5 2 ( c ) ( 3 ) ( B ) ( 1 9 9 5 ) . I n h is m o tio n , L e o n id e s m a d e tw o a r g u m e n ts . F ir s t, L e o n id e s a s s e rte d th a t h e d idn o t r e c e iv e th e o r d e rto s h o w c au s e a n dn o tic e o f h is d e p o rta tio n h e a r in g . S e c o n d , L e o n id e s c o n te n d e dth a t th e I m m ig r a tio n J u d g e d id notha ve j ur i s di c t i on t o i s s ue a n or de rof de port a t i on be c aus e L e oni de s w a s not pr e s e nti n the U ni t e d S t a t e s w he n the or de rt o s how c aus e w a s i s s ue d nordur i ng th e p e n d e n c yo f

th e d e p o rta tio n p r o c e e d in g s . A n I m m i gr a t i on J udge de ni e d the m ot i on t o r e ope n on the gr ounds tha tthe n o t i c e o f th e d e p o rt a t i o n h e a r i n g wa s p r o p e r l ys e rv e da tL e o n i d e s ’ s l a s tk n o wn a ddr e s s , a nd L e oni de s ’ s s t a t e m e nttha the w a s outof the c ountryw a s nots uf f i c i e nt c aus e t o r e ope n. T he B I A a f f i rm e d. T he B I A c onc l ude d tha tthe or de rt o s how3

c au s e w a s p r o p e r lys e rv e d o n L e o n id e s , w h o f a ile dto e s tab lis h th a t h e w a s in M exi co du ri ng the depo rt at i on proceedi ng s. T he B IA di sc ou nt ed the evi dence pres ent ed by L eoni des bec ause the evi dence w as no tac com pani ed by ce rt i fi ed E n g lis h tr a n s la tio n s a s r e q u ir e d b yth e r e g u la tio n s , 8 C .F .R . § 1 0 0 3 .3 3 . L e oni de s f

i l e d am ot i on f

orr e c ons i de r a t i on w i th the B I A t o w hi c h he a tta c h e d c e rtif

ie d E n g lis h tr a n s la tio n s o f th e e v id e n c e th a t h e h a ds u b m itte dw ith hi s m ot i on t o res ci nd . B ec ause i tvi ew ed the ce rt i fi ed E ng l i sh transl at i on s a s “ new e v id e n c e ,” th e B I A c o n s tru e d L e o n id e s ’s m o tio n a s b o th as e c o n dm o tio n to re op en and a m ot i on t o rec on si der. T he B IA deni ed the se cond m ot i on t o reopen as nu m er i ca l l y barre d, 8 C . F . R . § 1 00 3. 2(c) (2), and d eni ed the m ot i on t o rec on si der o n th e m e r its . L e o n id e s p e titio n e dth is C o u rt f o rr e v ie w . W hi l e hi s pet i t i on for r evi ew w as pend i ng , L eoni des f i l ed ye tanother m o tio n w ith th e B I A e n title d M o tio n to V a c a te O r d e ro f D e p o rta tio n . I n h is m ot i on , L eoni des a gai n chal l enged the j uri sdi ct i on of the Im m i grat i on Judg e that e nt e r e d the or de rof

de port a t i on a ga i ns thi m . L e oni de s a s s e rt e d tha the w a s not se eki ng t o reopen the depo rt at i on proceedi ng s and w as no tfi l i ng hi s m ot i on un der se ct i on 24 2(c) (B )( 3) of the Im m i grat i on A ct . D es pi t e hi s prot es t at i on s thathe w as no tse eki ng t o reopen o r r es ci nd the depo rt at i on order, the B IA agai n con strued L e o n id e s ’s m o tio n a s am o tio n to r e o p e n a n dd e n ie dth e m o tio n a s n u m e r ic a lly b a rr e d .4

L eoni des pet i t i on ed thi s C ou rtfor r evi ew . H i s pet i t i on s w er e c on sol i dat ed on appe a l , buti n hi s br i e f on appe a l , L e oni de s w i thdr e w hi s pe t i t i on r e l a t i ng t o the d e n ia l o f h is m o tio n to r e c o n s id e r . T h e o n lyis s u e r e m a in in g b e f o r e th e C o u rt is w he the rthe B I A e rr e d w he n i tc ons true d L e oni de s ’ s m ot i on t o va c a t e a s am ot i on to r e o p e n a n d d e n ie d th a t m o tio n a s n u m e r ic a llyb a rr e d . T h e B IA d i d n o terr w h en i tco n stru ed L eo n i d es’ s m o t i o n t o v acat e as a m ot i on t o r e ope n. A l though L e oni de s a s s e rt e d tha thi s m ot i on t o va c a t e di d not s e e k e i the rt o r e ope n the de port a t i on pr oc e e di ngs ort o r e s c i nd the de port a t i on or de rof the I m m i gr a t i on J udge , the r e l i e f s oughtbyL e oni de s w a s i de nt i c a l t o the r e l i e f s oughti n hi s pr e vi ous m ot i on t o r e ope n. M or e ove r , ne i the rthe I m m i gr a t i on a nd N a t i ona l i tyA c tnorthe a c c om pa ny i ng r e gul a t i ons pr ovi de a nyauthor i tyf or the B I A t o va c a t e a n i n abs e nt i ade port a t i on or de r , a nd L e oni de s f a i l s t o m e nt i on a n yau th o r ityf

o rh is r e q u e s t. I n th is c ir c u m s ta n c e , th e B I A d idn o t ab u s e its di s c r e t i on w he n i tc ons true d L e oni de s ’ s f i l i ng a s am ot i on t o r e ope n, w hi c h the B I A o r d in a r ilyc a n e n te rta in . T he B IA al so di d n oterr w hen i tdeni ed L eoni des’ s m ot i on t o reopen as num e r i c a l l yba rr e d. T he f e de r a l r e gul a t i ons tha tgove rn m ot i ons t o r e ope n or re consi der provi de thatordi nari l y “ a party m ayfi l e onl y one m ot i on t o reopen depo rt at i on or excl usi on proceedi ng s . . . and thatm ot i on m ustbe fi l ed no l at er than 9 0 d ay s a ft erthe dat e on w hi ch the fi nal adm i ni stra t i ve deci si on w as5

r e nde r e d. ” 8 C . F . R . § 1003. 2( c ) ( 2) . T he r e gul a t i ons a l s o pr ovi de tha tthe t i m e a nd num e r i c a l l i m i t a t i ons of s e c t i on 1003. 2( c ) ( 2) do notappl yt o am ot i on t o r e ope n or re sc i nd an order fi l ed i n absent i a. Id. § 1 00 3. 2(c) (3)( i ). A m ot i on t o res ci nd an order of deport at i on fi l ed i n absent i a m aybe fi l ed “ [a ] tany t i m e i f the al i en dem on stra t es thathe or she di d n otre ce i ve no t i ce or i f the al i en dem on stra t es that he ors he w a s i n f

e de r a l ors t a t e c us t odya nd the f a i l ur e t o appe a rw a s thr ough no f au lt o f th e a lie n .” I d . § 1 0 0 3 .2 3 ( b ) ( 4 ) ( iii) ( A ) ( 2 ) . A n o r d e re n te r e din ab s e n tiain d e p o rt a t i o n p r o c e e d i n g s ma yb e r e s c i n d e do n l yu p o n amo t i o n t o r e o p e n . 8 U . S. C. § 1 2 5 2 b ( c ) ( 3 ) ( 1 9 9 5 ) . L eoni des argues that , because hi s f i rs tm ot i on t o res ci nd or re op en w as fi l ed un der s ec t i on 10 03 . 23 (b)( 4), i tw as no tsubj ec tt o the t i m e and nu m er i ca l lim ita tio n s o f

s e c tio n 1 0 0 3 .2 ( c ) ( 2 ) a n dc a n n o t b e c o u n te da s th e o n e m o tio n to r e ope n tha the w a s pe rm i tt e d t o f i l e , butthi s a r gum e ntf

a i l s . A l though t i m e a nd num e r i c a l l i m i t a t i ons do notappl yt o m ot i ons t o r e s c i nd a n or de rof de port a t i on f i l e d i n abs e nt i a , nothi ng i n the r e gul a t i on pr e ve nt s the B I A f r om c ount i ng a m o ti o n to re sc in d ag ain st a laterfiled m o ti o n to re o p en . B ec au se L eo n id es ’s

“ M ot i on t o V a c a t e , ” c ons true d a s am ot i on t o r e ope n, w a s notf i l e d unde rs e c t i on 1 0 0 3 .2 3 , th e n u m e r ic a l lim ita tio n s ap p lie d , a n dth e B I A d idn o t e rrw h e n it d e te rm in e d th a t th e m o tio n w a s n u m e r ic a llyb a rr e d . B ec au se w e c o n clu d e th at th e B IA d idn o t errw h en itco n stru ed L eo n id es ’s6

m o tio n to v a c a te a s am o tio n to r e o p e n a n dd e n ie dth a t m o tio n a s n u m e r ic a lly b arre d , w e d o n o t co n sid eran d ex p re ss n o o p in io n w ith re sp ec t t o L eo n id es ’s a r gum e ntr e ga r di ng the j ur i s di c t i on of the I m m i gr a t i on J udge . B e c aus e he ha s not ra i se d a const i tut i on al qu es t i on , w e a l so expres s no o pi ni on w hether other a venu es of r e l i e f , s uc h a s ape t i t i on f

orhabe a s c orpus , s e e M a du v. U . S . A tt ’ yG e n. , 470 F . 3d 1362 ( 11th C i r . 2006) , a r e a va i l abl e t o L e oni de s t o c ha l l e nge the j ur i s di c t i on o f th e I m m ig r a tio n J u d g e . L eoni des’ s pet i t i on s f

or re vi ew ar e DE NI E D.