Boch-Saban v. Garland, No. 20-60540 (5th Cir. 2022)
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In November 2005, Petitioner, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with being a removable alien. Petitioner failed to appear at his removal hearing, and he was ordered removed. Petitioner remained in the United States and, in 2013, married a United States citizen. Petitioner’s wife then sought and obtained a visa for Petitioner in 2016.
Subsequently, Petitioner and the Department of Homeland Security jointly sought to reopen and dismiss Petitioner’s removal proceedings so he could apply for an immigrant visa. The immigration judge denied relief. Petitioner did not appeal, but filed a second motion to reopen, which the immigration judge denied. Petitioner appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”), claiming that his attorney’s ineffectiveness was the cause of his untimeliness. The BIA affirmed the immigration judge’s decision.
The Fifth Circuit reversed, holding that the BIA has jurisdiction to hear Petitioner’s case if he establishes equitable tolling applied. The court vacated the BIA’s opinion, remanding the case for the court to consider whether Petitioner can establish his claim was subject to equitable tolling.
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