Opinion ID: 786579
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The BIA's Summary Affirmance

Text: 41 Pursuant to 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(e)(4)(I), a single member of the BIA may affirm without opinion if the Board member determines that the result reached in the decision under review was correct; that any errors in the decision under review were harmless or nonmaterial; and that (A) The issues on appeal are squarely controlled by existing Board or federal court precedent and do not involve the application of precedent to a novel factual situation; or (B) The factual and legal issues raised on appeal are not so substantial that the case warrants the issuance of a written opinion in the case. 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(e)(4)(i)(A)-(B). 42 Because the IJ's decisions were not based on discretionary factors, we have jurisdiction to review the merits of Garcia's asylum claim, and, therefore, jurisdiction to review the BIA's streamlining decision. See Falcon Carriche v. Ashcroft, 350 F.3d 845, 855 (9th Cir.2003). However, such review would be unnecessary and duplicative. Id. If the BIA streamlines a case, the IJ's decision becomes the final agency decision, and the regulatory scheme gives us a green light to scrutinize the IJ's decision as we would a decision by the BIA itself. The decision to streamline becomes indistinguishable from the merits. Id. Thus, where we can reach the merits of the decision by the IJ ... an additional review of the streamlining decision itself would be superfluous. Id. (citations omitted). Because we can reach the merits of the IJ's decision in this case, we need not, pursuant to Falcon Carriche, review the BIA's decision to streamline. Falcon Carriche also forecloses Garcia's argument that the BIA's streamlining decision denied her due process of law. See id. at 850-51. 5