Cite as 25 I&N Dec. 164 (BIA 2010) Interim Decision #3668
1 Because the respondent’s application for cancellation of removal was filed after May 11,
2005, his application is governed by the amendments to the Act brought about by the
passage of the REAL ID Act of 2005, Division B of Pub. L. No. 109-13, 119 Stat. 302. See
Matter of S-B-, 24 I&N Dec. 42 (BIA 2006).
164
Matter of Gabriel GAMERO Perez, Respondent
File A098 330 107 – Los Angeles, California
Decided January 13, 2010
U.S. Department of Justice
Executive Office for Immigration Review
Board of Immigration Appeals
(1) Pursuant to 8 C.F.R. § 1240.26(c)(3) (2010), an Immigration Judge who grants an alien
voluntary departure must advise the alien that proof of posting of a bond with the
Department of Homeland Security must be submitted to the Board of Immigration
Appeals within 30 days of filing an appeal and that the Board will not reinstate a period
of voluntary departure in its final order unless the alien has timely submitted sufficient
proof that the required bond has been posted.
(2) Where the Immigration Judge did not provide all the advisals that are required upon
granting voluntary departure and the respondent failed to submit timely proof to the
Board that a voluntary departure bond had been posted, the record was remanded for the
Immigration Judge to grant a new period of voluntary departure and to provide the
required advisals.
FOR RESPONDENT: Carlos A. Cruz, Esquire, Alhambra, California
BEFORE: Board Panel: ADKINS-BLANCH, WENDTLAND, and GUENDELSBERGER,
Board Members.
WENDTLAND, Board Member:
In a decision dated March 16, 2009, an Immigration Judge denied the
respondent’s application for cancellation of removal under section 240A(b)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1229b(b) (2006),1
but
granted him voluntary departure pursuant to section 240B(b) of the Act,
8 U.S.C. § 1229c(b) (2006). The respondent has appealed from that decision.
The appeal from the Immigration Judge’s denial of cancellation of removal
will be dismissed, but the record will be remanded for further proceedings
regarding the grant of voluntary departure.Cite as 25 I&N Dec. 164 (BIA 2010) Interim Decision #3668
165
We review an Immigration Judge’s findings of fact, including findings
as to the credibility of testimony, to determine whether they are “clearly
erroneous.” 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(d)(3)(i) (2010); see also Matter of A-S-B-,
24 I&N Dec. 493 (BIA 2008). We review de novo questions of law,
discretion, and judgment and all other issues in appeals from decisions
of Immigration Judges. 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(d)(3)(ii); see also Matter of V-K-,
24 I&N Dec. 500 (BIA 2008).
I. CANCELLATION OF REMOVAL
The Immigration Judge’s findings of fact have not been shown
to be clearly erroneous. Further, upon de novo review of the Immigration
Judge’s application of the pertinent legal standards, we agree that the
respondent did not establish eligibility for cancellation of removal because
he failed to show that his removal would result in exceptional and extremely
unusual hardship to any of his qualifying relatives, namely, his three
United States citizen children and his lawful permanent resident father.
For the reasons identified by the Immigration Judge, we agree that while the
respondent’s removal would result in some hardship to his children and father,
the level of hardship established falls short of the “exceptional and extremely
unusual” standard set forth in section 240A(b)(1)(D) of the Act. Matter
of Andazola, 23 I&N Dec. 319 (BIA 2002); Matter of Monreal, 23 I&N Dec.
56 (BIA 2001); cf. Matter of Recinas, 23 I&N Dec. 467 (BIA 2002). The
Immigration Judge properly reached this conclusion after considering the
evidence of hardship to the respondent’s family members. Regarding the
children, the Immigration Judge considered their young ages and good health,
their educational challenges and opportunities, their bilingual skills, and their
family ties in Mexico. Regarding the respondent’s father, the Immigration
Judge considered his health condition and the facts that he is employed and
does not rely on the respondent for financial or emotional support. In this
case, we concur with the Immigration Judge’s conclusion that when all the
factors are considered in the aggregate, the respondent did not establish the
requisite hardship to any of his qualifying family members.
II. VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE
The Immigration Judge granted the respondent a 60-day voluntary
departure period, conditioned on the posting of a $500 bond. See sections
240B(b)(2)–(3) of the Act. Effective January 20, 2009, the regulations
on voluntary departure were revised to set forth new provisions relating
to the posting of a bond and new notice and advisal requirements for
Immigration Judges granting voluntary departure. See Voluntary Departure:Cite as 25 I&N Dec. 164 (BIA 2010) Interim Decision #3668
2 In citing the revised regulations in this decision, we refer to the 2010 Code of Federal
Regulations, in which all regulations in effect as of January 1, 2010, will be codified.
Although they were not yet effective as of the January 1, 2009, update of the Code of Federal
Regulations, the revised regulations are available in the 2009 volume of the Code
as an effective date note. See Matter of Velasco, 25 I&N Dec. 143, 144 n.1 (BIA 2009).
3 The prior version of the voluntary departure regulations also mandated that aliens granted
that relief must post a bond of at least $500 within 5 business days, but they did not include
an explicit requirement that Immigration Judges must advise aliens of bond conditions and
duties before granting voluntary departure.
4
The new voluntary departure regulations also contain requirements for Immigration Judges
relating to warnings and advisals, in addition to the conditions set forth at 8 C.F.R.
§§ 1240.26(c)(3)(i)–(iii). For example, upon advising an alien of the conditions listed in the
regulations, as well as any others that might be imposed, the Immigration Judge must give
the alien “the opportunity to accept the grant of voluntary departure or decline voluntary
departure if he or she is unwilling to accept the amount of the bond or other conditions.”
8 C.F.R. § 1240.26(c)(3). Further, 8 C.F.R. § 1240.26(j) provides (1) that the Immigration
Judge must advise the alien of the precise amount of the civil penalty for failure to depart,
pursuant to section 240B(d)(1)(A) of the Act, and (2) that a rebuttable presumption exists
that the penalty will be set at $3,000 unless the Immigration Judge specifically orders
(continued…)
166
Effect of a Motion To Reopen or Reconsider or a Petition for Review, 73 Fed.
Reg. 76,927 (Dec. 18, 2008).2
Specifically, 8 C.F.R. § 1240.26(c)(3) (2010)
now provides that an Immigration Judge may impose such conditions as are
deemed necessary to ensure an alien’s timely departure from the United States,
and that the Immigration Judge must advise the alien of the conditions set forth
in 8 C.F.R. §§ 1240.26(c)(3)(i)–(iii), as well as any other conditions that are
not specifically required by the regulations.
The conditions set forth in 8 C.F.R. §§ 1240.26(c)(3)(i)–(iii) are as follows:
(i) The alien shall be required to post a voluntary departure bond, in an amount
necessary to ensure that the alien departs within the time specified, but in no case less
than $500. Before granting voluntary departure, the immigration judge shall advise
the alien of the specific amount of the bond to be set and the duty to post the bond
with the [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] Field Office Director within
5 business days of the immigration judge’s order granting voluntary departure.3
(ii) An alien who has been granted voluntary departure shall, within 30 days of filing
an appeal with the Board, submit sufficient proof of having posted the required
voluntary departure bond. If the alien does not provide timely proof to the Board that
the required voluntary departure bond has been posted with [the Department
of Homeland Security], the Board will not reinstate the period of voluntary departure
in its final order.
(iii) Upon granting voluntary departure, the immigration judge shall advise the alien
that if the alien files a post-order motion to reopen or reconsider during the period
allowed for voluntary departure, the grant of voluntary departure shall terminate
automatically and the alternate order of removal will take effect immediately.4Cite as 25 I&N Dec. 164 (BIA 2010) Interim Decision #3668
(…continued)
a higher or lower amount, within the permissible range allowed by law, at the time
of granting voluntary departure. The new regulations also set forth certain advisals that the
Board must provide if it reinstates an Immigration Judge’s grant of voluntary departure
on appeal. See 8 C.F.R. §§ 1240.26(e)(1), (i). 5 Prior to the new regulations, our general practice was to presume that the required bond
had been posted with the DHS unless we were specifically informed that the bond had not
been posted.
167
We note in particular that 8 C.F.R. § 1240.26(c)(3)(ii) imposes for the first
time an affirmative requirement that any alien granted voluntary departure who
files an administrative appeal from a removal order must timely submit
sufficient proof to the Board that the required bond has been posted with the
Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”). Moreover, for the first time the
regulations prohibit the Board from reinstating voluntary departure on appeal
if the required proof has not been provided. Id.5
Concomitantly, and
presumably because of the novel nature of the requirement to submit proof
of posting as well as the harsh and profound ramifications for aliens who fail
to comply, the regulations also require that Immigration Judges provide
explicit advisals of both the required submission of proof and the
consequences of noncompliance. 8 C.F.R. § 1240.26(c). The mandatory
advisals thus appear to have been intended to serve as a critical complement
to, and indeed a prerequisite for, the requirement to submit proof of posting
itself.
The record before us does not indicate that the respondent submitted proof,
timely or otherwise, that the voluntary departure bond was posted, but there
is also no indication that the Immigration Judge provided all the required
advisals. Most importantly for purposes of this opinion, the Immigration
Judge apparently did not advise the respondent of his obligation under
8 C.F.R. § 1240.26(c)(3)(ii) to submit sufficient proof of having posted the
required voluntary departure bond within 30 days of filing a Notice of Appeal
with the Board. Nor does it appear that the Immigration Judge advised the
respondent that the regulations preclude the Board from reinstating voluntary
departure when the respondent has not provided the required proof of posting.
The respondent did not submit sufficient proof that the required bond was
posted. Therefore, because of the prohibition set forth in the new regulation,
we will not reinstate the voluntary departure period. Nevertheless, we will
remand the record to the Immigration Judge to provide all of the required
advisals.
Given the adverse consequences to an alien arising from his or her
failure to submit the required proof of posting the bond, the importance
of an Immigration Judge’s compliance with the obligations to provide theCite as 25 I&N Dec. 164 (BIA 2010) Interim Decision #3668
168
regulatory bond advisals is apparent. In this regard, the supplemental
information for the final rule specifically stated that the Department of Justice
“agrees that timely notice to aliens regarding their rights, responsibilities, and
the consequences associated with voluntary departure is an important issue.”
73 Fed. Reg. at 76,933 (Supplementary Information). Because of the
recognized importance of such notice, we conclude that a remand is the
appropriate remedy when the mandatory advisals have not been provided
by the Immigration Judge.
Accordingly, the record will be remanded to the Immigration Judge to grant
a new period of voluntary departure and to provide all advisals that are
required upon granting such relief, including, but not limited to, the obligation
to timely post the specified bond with the Immigration and Customs
Enforcement Field Office Director and the consequences of failing to timely
submit sufficient proof of such posting to the Board if an appeal is filed.
ORDER: The respondent’s appeal from the Immigration Judge’s denial
of cancellation of removal is dismissed.
FURTHER ORDER: With respect to the Immigration Judge’s grant
of voluntary departure, the record is remanded for further proceedings
consistent with the foregoing opinion and for the entry of a new decision.