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Page Number: 6.0

2 

PATEL v. GARLAND 

Opinion of the Court 

States Department of Justice who exercise the authority of
the Attorney General.  §1229a(a)(1); 8 CFR §§1240.1(a)(1),
1245.2(a)(1)(i) (2021).  If an immigration judge decides that 
a noncitizen is removable, the judge is authorized to order 
the  removal  of  the  noncitizen  from  the  United  States.    8 
U. S. C. §1229a(c)(5).

to  grant 

Being found removable is not always the end of the story, 
though,  because  Congress  has  authorized  relief  from  re-
moval in certain contexts.  For example, the Attorney Gen-
eral has discretion to adjust the status of an eligible noncit-
izen  who  entered  the  United  States  illegally  to  that  of 
lawful permanent resident, forgiving the illegal entry and 
protecting the noncitizen from removal on that ground.  See 
§1255(i).  (As with authority over removal generally, the At-
torney  General  has  delegated  to  immigration  judges  the 
ability 
8  CFR 
§1240.1(a)(1)(ii).)  To be eligible for such relief, a noncitizen
must show that he satisfies various threshold requirements
established by Congress.  Yet eligibility only gets a nonciti-
zen so far.  Because relief from removal is always “ ‘a matter 
of  grace,’ ”  even  an  eligible  noncitizen  must  persuade  the
immigration  judge  that  he  merits  a  favorable  exercise  of 
discretion.  INS v. St. Cyr, 533 U. S. 289, 308 (2001).  And 
if  the  judge  decides  that  denial  would  be  appropriate  re-
gardless of eligibility, the judge need not address eligibility 
at all.  See INS v. Bagamasbad, 429 U. S. 24, 25–26 (1976) 
(per curiam).

removal. 

relief 

from 

Congress has sharply circumscribed judicial review of the 
discretionary-relief process.  Title 8 U. S. C. §1252(a)(2)(B) 
provides: 

“Notwithstanding any other provision of law (statu-
tory or nonstatutory), including section 2241 of title 28,
or any other habeas corpus provision, and sections 1361 
and 1651 of such title, and except as provided in sub-