Opinion ID: 779730
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether Decisions Under Section 244 Are Discretionary

Text: 18 The immigration judge's determination that Valenzuela-Alcantar had not proven extreme hardship is a decision made under Section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. See, e.g., Bernal-Vallejo v. I.N.S., 195 F.3d 56, 61 (1st Cir.1999). 19 That determination is also discretionary, demanding an exercise of judgment over and above mere ascertainment of facts. Indeed, the language of the statute expressly commits the extreme hardship determination to the opinion of the Attorney General. 8 U.S.C. § 1254(a)(1) (repealed 1996); Kalaw, 133 F.3d at 1152 (quoting Carnalla-Munoz v. I.N.S., 627 F.2d 1004, 1006 (9th Cir.1980) (Extreme hardship is by the express terms of the statute a discretionary determination.)). Immigration judges and the Board of Immigration Appeals are designees of the Attorney General and thus are governed by provisions regarding the Attorney General. See 8 C.F.R. § 3.10. Hence, we conclude that immigration judges and the Board of Immigration Appeals make discretionary decisions when addressing extreme hardship under Section 244. 20 In addition to the Ninth Circuit in Kalaw, every other circuit to have considered the question has concluded that the extreme hardship determination under § 244 is a discretionary one. Kalkouli v. Ashcroft, 282 F.3d 202, 204 (2d Cir.2002); Okpa v. I.N.S., 266 F.3d 313, 317 (4th Cir.2001); Al Najjar v. Ashcroft, 257 F.3d 1262, 1298 (11th Cir.2001); Escalera v. INS, 222 F.3d 753, 755 (10th Cir.2000); Bernal-Vallejo, 195 F.3d at 63; Moosa v. I.N.S., 171 F.3d 994, 1012 (5th Cir.1999); Skutnik v. INS, 128 F.3d 512, 514 (7th Cir.1997). We have not yet characterized the extreme hardship determination but now agree with our sister circuits that it is discretionary.