Opinion ID: 76948
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: 12 The first question presented is whether, under the INA as amended by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, Pub.L. No. 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009 (1996) (IIRIRA), we have jurisdiction over a petition for review of a BIA order that denies asylum and withholding of removal but does not expressly order removal of a VWP applicant in asylum only proceedings pursuant to INA § 217(a), 8 U.S.C. § 1187(a) and 8 C.F.R. §§ 217.4 and 208.2. 6 13 INA § 242, 8 U.S.C. § 1252, is the jurisdictional basis for immigration determinations post-IIRIRA. It states: 14 (a) Applicable provisions 15 (1) General orders of removal 16 Judicial review of a final order of removal (other than an order of removal without a hearing pursuant to section 1225(b)(1) of this title) is governed only by chapter 158 of Title 28, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section . . . 17 (2) Matters not subject to judicial review 18 . . . 19 (B) Denials of discretionary relief 20 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no court shall have jurisdiction to review — . . . (ii) any other decision or action of the Attorney General the authority for which is specified under this subchapter to be in the discretion of the Attorney General, other than the granting of relief under section 1158(a) of this title. 21 8 U.S.C. § 1252. In relevant part, 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(1) permits [a]ny alien who is physically present in the United States or who arrives in the United States . . . irrespective of such alien's status, [to] apply for asylum. . . . 22 Nreka applied for asylum and withholding of removal under 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a) and the CAT and now appeals the BIA's (and IJ's where applicable) final determination denying such relief. We have jurisdiction to review his claim under the jurisdictional grant in § 1252(a)(1). We agree with the INS's position that, assuming that the final order of removal language of § 1252(a)(1) acts as a condition precedent to the grant of jurisdiction throughout the remainder of § 1252, the denial of asylum and withholding of removal in Nreka's case constitutes a final order of removal for jurisdictional purposes. See Del Pilar v. Att'y Gen., 326 F.3d 1154, 1156-57 (11th Cir.2003) (holding that a BIA decision reversing the IJ's grant of a waiver of inadmissibility under INA § 212(c) was a final order of removal because there was nothing left for Del Pilar to appeal); Perkovic v. INS, 33 F.3d 615, 618-19 (6th Cir.1994) (holding that a BIA order reversing an IJ's grant of asylum and remanding the case was a final order of deportation and noting that it was not aware of [any] authority for the proposition that a [BIA] order rejecting an asylum application is not a final order unless a formal order of deportation has already been issued); cf. Khup v. Ashcroft, 376 F.3d 898, 902 (9th Cir.2004) (exercising jurisdiction pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(1) over a petition for review of the denial of relief from removal by an alien placed in proceedings for overstaying his period of lawful admission under the VWP). The denial of an asylum application in a VWP proceeding is so closely tied to the removal of the alien that it can be deemed — in conjunction with the referral to the immigration judge — as a final order of removal, subject to § 1252(a)(1). 7 23 We do not find any significant distinction in Nreka's VWP status. Our interpretation places an unsuccessful VWP applicant seeking asylum in the same position as other aliens who arrive at the border without valid entry documents and whose asylum claims are referred to the IJ. See, e.g., D-Muhumed v. Att'y Gen., 388 F.3d 814, 815-816 (11th Cir.2004) (reviewing denial of asylum and withholding of removal of inadmissible alien stopped at the border with fraudulent entry documents); see also Asylum Seekers in Expedited Removal, Report of the U.S. Comm'n on Int'l Religious Freedom, at 52-53 (describing judicial review available to inadmissible aliens whose asylum applications are referred to an IJ); 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b) (describing referral to IJ of aliens from expedited removal proceedings to regular removal proceedings). There is nothing in the VWP statute to indicate that unsuccessful VWP applicants should be treated differently than any other inadmissible alien stopped at the border who has established sufficient credible fear of persecution to be referred to an IJ for a hearing. 8