Court Opinion

ID: 9498706
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 17:25:37.42593+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:59:01.048810
License: Public Domain

HEANEY, Circuit Judge,
concurring.
Were it consistent with the law and the Citizenship and Immigration Service regulations, I would strongly prefer to give Candelaria Dominguez-Capistran the relief she requests. As stated in our original panel opinion, I am convinced that her counsel was ineffective and there is merit to her claim for the cancellation of removal of her, so that she may remain with her four children, all of whom were born in the United States.
However, I am persuaded by the majority that this is relief we are not permitted *879to grant at this time. I am confident that the Citizenship and Immigration Service will carefully consider the issue of whether Dominguez-Capistran has been the victim of ineffective assistance of counsel. I have little confidence that the attorney whose ineffectiveness resulted in her missing her initial hearing, and who remains her attorney at this time, will be willing to effectively litigate her ineffective assistance claim before the IJ. My hope is that her current attorney will withdraw as counsel, so that she may be represented by counsel that is willing to assist her in this claim.