Opinion ID: 2975166
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: standard of review

Text: This Court reviews the denial of a motion to reopen a petition for asylum for an abuse of discretion. INS v. Doherty, 502 U.S. 314, 324, 112 S.Ct. 719, 116 L.Ed.2d 823 (1992). An abuse of discretion can be shown when the BIA offers no “rational explanation, inexplicably depart[s] from established policies, or rest[s] on an impermissible basis such as invidious discrimination against a particular race or group.” Balani v. INS, 669 F.2d 1157, 1161 (6th Cir.1982). This Court reviews legal issues de novo. Harchenko v. INS, 379 F.3d 405, 409 (6th Cir. 2004). “The scope of review is exceedingly narrow because a lack of statutory standards provides the Attorney General with unusually broad discretion...Nevertheless, the BIA may be reversed if it fails to actually consider the facts and circumstances respecting each petitioner’s claim of extreme hardship...Such a decision would be reversed as arbitrary or capricious.” Daneshvar v. Ashcroft, 355 F.3d 615, 626 (6th Cir. 2004)(quoting Hazime v. INS, 17 F.3d 136, 140 (6th Cir.1994) (citations omitted)). This Court may review the denial of an asylum application for untimeliness where the appeal seeks review of constitutional claims or matters of statutory construction, but it lacks jurisdiction to do so where the appeal seeks review of discretionary or factual questions. Almuhtaseb v. Gonzales, 453 F.3d 743, 748 (6th Cir.2006). “Generally speaking, a court of appeals should remand a case to an agency for decision of a matter that statutes place primarily in agency hands.” INS v. Ventura, 537 U.S. 12, 16 (2002). “[T]he Board’s denial of relief may be affirmed only on the basis articulated in the decision and this Court may not assume that the Board considered factors that it failed to mention in its opinion.” Daneshvar, 355 F.3d at 626. “Motions for reopening of immigration proceedings are disfavored for the same reasons as are petitions for rehearing and motions for a new trial on the basis of newly discovered evidence.” Doherty, 502 U.S. at 323 (citing INS v. Abudu, 485 U.S. 94, 107-08 (1988)). This Court does not review the decision of the Immigration Judge; rather, “judicial review is specifically limited to the decision of the BIA.” Hazime, 17 F.3d at 140.