Opinion ID: 797821
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether the period for voluntary departure may be stayed, tolled, or otherwise extended

Text: 36 In Thapa, 460 F.3d 323, following the position adopted by the majority of the Circuits, compare Bocova, 412 F.3d at 265-67 (holding that IIRIRA does not limit a court's authority to issue a stay of departure suspending the running of a voluntary departure period); and El Himri v. Ashcroft, 344 F.3d 1261, 1262 (9th Cir.2003) (the District Director's authority to extend voluntary departure time periods does not limit this court's equitable authority to grant a stay of the voluntary departure period); and Rife, 374 F.3d at 616 (holding that since IIRIRA permits stays of removal, voluntary departure can also be stayed); and Lopez-Chavez, 383 F.3d at 654 (concluding that under the permanent IIRIRA rules, a stay tolling the time for voluntary departure may be entered); and Nwakanma v. Ashcroft, 352 F.3d 325, 327 (6th Cir.2003); with Ngarurih v. Ashcroft, 371 F.3d 182, 194 (4th Cir.2004) (holding that voluntary departure may not be stayed), we recently held that we have the authority . . . to stay an agency order [of voluntary departure] pending . . . consideration of a petition for review on the merits. Thapa, 460 F.3d at 324-25. We did not address, however, our power to issue such a stay where, as here, the petitioners (1) moved only for a stay of removal and failed to make a motion expressly requesting a stay of voluntary departure, and (2) have now sought such relief well after the time for voluntary departure has expired.