Opinion ID: 1237154
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Third Hearing and Appeal

Text: At his third hearing, Brezilien asked the IJ to consider his asylum and withholding of removal claims in light of worsening conditions in Haiti. The IJ declined, noting that the BIA had already reversed his two prior asylum rulings. On January 25, 2006, the IJ issued an oral decision granting Brezilien's application for CAT relief. The IJ found that criminal deportees who are returned to Haiti are detained for an indeterminate amount of time, and that the conditions of detention in a Haitian prison could amount to torture. Both parties appealed the IJ's January 25, 2006 decision to the BIA. The BIA reversed the IJ's grant of CAT relief, finding that such relief could not be based solely on prison conditions in Haiti and the indefinite detention of detainees, in light of In re J-E-, 23 I. & N. Dec. 291 (BIA 2002) and Theagene v. Gonzales, 411 F.3d 1107 (9th Cir.2005). The BIA also rejected Brezilien's argument that he would be targeted for torture by the authorities while detained due to his political affiliations, as well as his argument that worsening country conditions qualified him for asylum because, in its view, Brezilien had failed to establish how he would be recognized throughout the country as an Aristide supporter. The BIA remanded to the IJ to enter a final order of removal [2] that encompassed all of the IJ's and BIA's decisions. The IJ entered the order on June 30, 2006. Brezilien timely petitioned for review.
Our jurisdiction to review a final order of removal is governed by 8 U.S.C. § 1252 (2000); Immigration and Nationality Act § 242, as amended by the Real ID Act of 2005, Pub.L. No. 109-13, Div. B, § 106, 119 Stat. 231 (May 11, 2005). With respect to asylum, withholding of removal, and CAT claims of a petitioner who was convicted of an offense covered by § 1252(a)(2)(C), we have jurisdiction to review the denial of an asylum application and to review the denial of withholding of removal and CAT relief when a petitioner raises questions of law, including mixed questions of law and fact, or constitutional claims. Morales v. Gonzales, 478 F.3d 972, 978-80 (9th Cir.2007). Moreover, as to factual issues, when an IJ does not rely on an alien's conviction in denying CAT relief and instead denies relief on the merits, none of the jurisdiction-stripping provisions... apply to divest this court of jurisdiction. Id. at 980; see also Arteaga v. Mukasey, 511 F.3d 940, 942 n. 1 (9th Cir.2007). Notwithstanding any limitations on judicial review over discretionary determinations set forth in § 1252(a)(2)(B), section 106 of the Real ID Act explicitly provides for judicial review over constitutional claims or questions of law. See 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(2)(D) (as amended by Real ID Act § 106(a)(1)(A)(iii)); see also Fernandez-Ruiz v. Gonzales, 410 F.3d 585, 587 (9th Cir.2005), as adopted by Fernandez-Ruiz v. Gonzales, 466 F.3d 1121, 1124 (9th Cir.2006) (en banc) (explaining that the Real ID Act restored judicial review of constitutional questions and questions of law presented in petitions for review of final removal orders). Accordingly, we have construed the jurisdictional grant of 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(2)(D) to encompass constitutional questions, pure questions of law, and the application of statutes or regulations to undisputed facts, sometimes referred to as mixed questions of fact and law. Ramadan v. Gonzales, 479 F.3d 646, 650 (9th Cir.2007) (per curiam). The government contends that we lack jurisdiction to consider Brezilien's claims because (1) Brezilien has failed to exhaust his administrative remedies as required by 8 U.S.C. § 1252(d)(1), and/or (2) there is no administrative decision to review. See INS v. Ventura, 537 U.S. 12, 123 S.Ct. 353, 154 L.Ed.2d 272 (2002). We address these arguments with respect to each of Brezilien's claims as appropriate.