Opinion ID: 762132
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Failure to Downward Depart--Cultural Assimilation.

Text: 13 At the sentencing hearing, Reyes asked the district court to provide a downward departure relating to his cultural assimilation under USSG § 5H1.6. Specifically, Reyes requested the district court to consider his long residence--nearly twenty years--in the United States and the fact that he married a U.S. citizen and has a U.S. citizen child. The district court noted it did not believe that the Defendant's situation serves as a basis for downward departure; and accordingly that objection is overruled. Reyes contends the district court erred when it failed to consider cultural assimilation as a basis for a downward departure. 14 When a district court declines to depart downward based on the facts in the case, the decision is not reviewable by a Court of Appeals. See United States v. Brace, 145 F.3d 247, 263 (5th Cir.) (en banc), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 119 S.Ct. 426, 142 L.Ed.2d 347 (1998). Because the record shows the district court refused to depart downward on the facts of the case, we lack jurisdiction to review the decision.