Court Opinion

ID: 9393947
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-11 18:01:33.58819+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:18:56.508432
License: Public Domain

Case: 23-60052        Document: 00516746495             Page: 1      Date Filed: 05/11/2023

             United States Court of Appeals
                  for the Fifth Circuit
                                      ___________                          United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                    Fifth Circuit

                                      No. 23-60052
                                                                                  FILED
                                                                              May 11, 2023
                                    Summary Calendar
                                     ___________                             Lyle W. Cayce
                                                                                  Clerk
   Muhammad Arsalan Zafar,

                                                                                   Petitioner,

                                            versus

   Merrick Garland, U.S. Attorney General,

                                                                                Respondent.
                     ______________________________

                      Petition for Review from an Order of the
                            Board of Immigration Appeals
                             Agency No. A096 602 139
                     ______________________________

   Before Stewart, Willett, and Douglas, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam:         *

         Muhammad Arsalan Zafar, a native and citizen of Pakistan, petitions
   for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ denial of his motion to
   reopen his immigration proceedings sua sponte. Zafar asserts he is not
   seeking to overturn the Board’s decision. Rather, he asks us to remand his
   case to the Board and instruct it to set cognizable standards for assessing
   motions to reopen sua sponte. The Government moves to dismiss the

         *
             This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 23-60052      Document: 00516746495          Page: 2    Date Filed: 05/11/2023

                                    No. 23-60052

   petition for lack of jurisdiction or, alternatively, for summary affirmance.
          We agree with the Government that we lack jurisdiction to reach
   Zafar’s arguments on the denial of his motion to reopen proceedings sua
   sponte. Mejia v. Whitaker, 913 F.3d 482, 490 (5th Cir. 2019); Eneugwu v.
   Garland, 54 F.4th 315, 319–20 (5th Cir. 2022). Accordingly, we GRANT IN
   PART the Government’s motion to dismiss and DISMISS IN PART the
   petition for review.
          We do, however, have jurisdiction to consider constitutional
   questions arising from such motions. See Mejia, 913 F.3d at 490. To the extent
   Zafar argues that the lack of governing standards violates his due process
   rights, this argument is foreclosed by circuit precedent as “no liberty interest
   exists in a motion to reopen.” Id. Accordingly, summary affirmance is
   proper. See Groendyke Transp., Inc. v. Davis, 406 F.2d 1158, 1162 (5th Cir.
   1969); see also Balboa-Longoria v. Gonzales, 169 F. App’x 383, 384–85 (5th Cir.
   Feb. 27, 2006). Thus we further GRANT the Government’s alternative
   request for summary affirmance and DENY IN PART the petition.

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