Opinion ID: 1459751
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Removeability

Text: When the Government appealed the IJ's cancellation of removal to the BIA, Petitioner argued to the BIA that he was not removeable at all. The BIA never addressed this argument. On appeal to us, Petitioner raises the argument again. Because the BIA never addressed that issue and because the BIA decision must be vacated, it would be improper for us to determine that issue now. But we observe, in passing, that while Petitioner was found removable for a crime of child abuse, INA § 237(a)(2)(E)(i), 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(E)(i), there is some question as to whether Petitioner's conviction under New York Penal Law § 260.10 necessarily encompassed a conviction for a crime of child abuse, see People v. Johnson, 95 N.Y.2d 368, 718 N.Y.S.2d 1, 740 N.E.2d 1075, 1076 (2000) (discussing the breadth of New York Penal Law § 260.10); In Re Velazquez-Herrera, 24 I. & N. Dec. 503 (BIA 2008) (interpreting crime of child abuse), and how the categorical approach applies to such a conviction, see James v. Mukasey, 522 F.3d 250, 256 (2d Cir.2008) (leaving open the possibility that New York Penal Law § 260.10 might be divisible and therefore subject to the modified categorical approach).