Opinion ID: 620700
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: standard of review

Text: “Our scope of review directly correlates to the form of the BIA decision.” Sidabutar v. Gonzales, 503 F.3d 1116, 1123 (10th Cir. 2007). Where, as here, “a single BIA member issues a brief order, affirming . . . the IJ’s order . . . such an order constitutes the final order of removal . . . and thus this Court will not affirm on grounds raised in the IJ decision unless they are relied upon by the BIA in its affirmance.” Id. When the BIA has failed to address a ground that appears to have substance, we should not reverse on that ground, but instead remand. Niang v. Gonzales, 422 F.3d 1187, 1196 (10th Cir. 2005); see INS v. Ventura, 537 U.S. 12, 16–17 (2002). We review the BIA’s findings of fact under a substantial-evidence standard. Elzour v. Ashcroft, 378 F.3d 1143, 1150 (10th Cir. 2004). Under this standard, “[t]he BIA’s findings of fact are conclusive unless the record demonstrates that any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude to the contrary.” Hang Kannha Yuk v. Ashcroft, 355 F.3d 1222, 1233 (10th Cir. 2004) (quotation omitted). -5- We review the BIA’s legal conclusions de novo. Elzour, 378 F.3d at 1150. But the BIA’s interpretations of ambiguous provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) are entitled to deference under Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Res. Def. Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837 (1984). Niang, 422 F.3d at 1196 (“The Supreme Court has instructed that the BIA should be accorded Chevron deference as it gives ambiguous statutory terms concrete meaning through a process of case-by-case adjudication.”). If the BIA’s construction is reasonable, Chevron requires that we accept this construction, “even if the agency’s reading differs from what the court believes is the best statutory interpretation.” Nat’l Cable & Telecomms. Ass’n v. Brand X Internet Servs., 545 U.S. 967, 980 (2005). This standard of review is not more searching where the agency’s decision is a change from prior policy. FCC v. Fox Television Stations, Inc., 129 S. Ct. 1800, 1810 (2009). In making this change, the agency need not make clear “why the original reasons for adopting the displaced rule or policy are no longer dispositive” or “why the new rule effectuates the statute as well as or better than the old rule.” Id. (quotations and alterations omitted).