Court Opinion

ID: 9477973
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 06:36:04.167306+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:46:09.030283
License: Public Domain

POOLE, Circuit Judge,
dissenting:
I do not question the majority’s sincerity or its purpose to ameliorate what it deems to be a harsh facet of the immigration laws. But no matter how intellectually crafted the majority opinion, I disagree with its conclusion because it is a very present fact that only the Attorney General of the United States, or his designee, has the authority by law to grant to an alien the privilege of voluntary departure. That authority has in fact been given to the Board of Immigration Appeals. Thus designated, the Board granted a 30-day voluntary departure to the petitioner. He neither departed within that time nor sought an extension from the Board. As Judge Kozinski has pointed out in his dissent, the order of extension expired by its own terms. I do not think we can give it resurrection. If the Congress had authorized the United States Courts of Appeals to grant voluntary departure, I would concur in a decision doing so. We do not have the authority; we should not venture to create such power.
With deference to the majority of this en banc court, I believe today’s opinion to be erroneous. Therefore, I respectfully dissent.