Opinion ID: 740712
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Palafox's Community Ties

Text: 20 Palafox argues that during his stay in the United States he has formed considerable ties to the community. It would, he contends, cause him extreme hardship were he to be forced to relinquish these ties. He points in particular to his involvement with his local church, and the charitable work he has performed in connection therewith. 21 The BIA found that Palafox's separation from these community involvements and charitable works would not cause him or his family extreme hardship. The ability and desire to perform charitable works is portable, and may be largely duplicated in his native country. 22 Palafox's community involvement is certainly admirable. His showing on appeal, however, does not demonstrate that the BIA abused its discretion when it declined to find that he had shown extreme hardship. Even Palafox himself does not argue that his community ties are exceptional, but rather are the sort formed almost as a matter of course when one has spent an extended period of time in one place. This may be true, but it does not establish that the BIA abused its discretion. The BIA permissibly concluded that given Palafox's significant familial ties in the Phillippines, the loss of community ties in the United States did not rise to the level of extreme hardship. See Patel v. INS, 638 F.2d 1199, 1206 (9th Cir.1980) (Viewing severance of [normal community] ties as extreme hardship would make the third requirement of § 1254(a)(1) trivial.).