Opinion ID: 738887
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Hardship to Enriques' family

Text: 13 Enriques also argued that his deportation would inflict various hardships on his family. In particular, he argued that his deportation would cause extreme emotional, economic, and medical hardships for his parents, and that separation from her father would cause his child extreme hardship. The BIA properly addressed each of these claims. 14 First, the BIA properly addressed Enriques' claims that deporting him would cause his parents extreme emotional, economic, and medical hardships. For example, the BIA considered Enriques' evidence that separation would cause his parents emotional distress, but reasoned that any such distress would be mitigated by the presence of Enriques' two United States citizen brothers. Likewise, the BIA considered Enriques' evidence that his deportation would cause his parents economic hardship, but reasoned that the hardship would be no more than the common result of deportation, Perez, 96 F.3d at 392 (common economic results of deportation not extreme hardship), and that Enriques' citizen brothers could help their parents compensate. Finally, the BIA acknowledged Enriques' evidence that his deportation would cause his mother hardship because she relies on his help with her diabetes-related disabilities, see, e.g., Watkins, 63 F.3d at 850 (extreme hardship can be shown when deportation exacerbates medical problem); Biggs v. INS, 55 F.3d 1398, 1401-02 (9th Cir.1995) (same), but concluded that any such hardship would not be extreme based on the mother's testimony that she regularly babysits for Enriques' one-year-old child and on her apparent physical good health at the hearing. Thus, the BIA considered each hardship and gave a reasoned explanation for its conclusion that it was not extreme. 15 Second, the BIA properly considered Enriques' claim that his deportation would cause extreme hardship to his child. Enriques' evidence was sparse: he testified only that he, his child, and the child's mother currently live together, that he currently supports his child, and that, because the child's mother will neither leave the United States nor part with her child, deportation will separate father from child. While it is true that separation of parent and child can cause the child extreme hardship, and that failure to consider this hardship is an abuse of discretion, Perez, 96 F.3d at 392-93, here Enriques did not offer evidence to show that the separation would in fact cause extreme hardship to the child. Thus, the BIA did not abuse its discretion by rejecting Enriques' claim of hardship on this basis. 16 In sum, the BIA properly addressed all but one of Enriques' claims of extreme hardship. The BIA's failure to address his political violence claim was an abuse of discretion and requires that Enriques' petition for review be granted. In so holding, we hold only that the BIA must consider and address Enriques' political violence claim. We cannot determine from the record whether or not there is validity to this claim. 17 PETITION GRANTED.