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Zou Qin Liang v. Holder

Citation: 346 F. App'x 730Docket: No. 08-6202-ag

Court: Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; September 24, 2009; Federal Appellate Court

Narrative Opinion Summary

In this immigration case, the petitioner, a Chinese national, challenged the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) decision denying his motions to reconsider and reopen his asylum case. The BIA's denial was based on the petitioner's failure to submit a new asylum application as required by 8 C.F.R. § 1003.2(c)(1). The petitioner argued that the BIA abused its discretion by denying his prior motion to reopen due to a procedural error. However, this argument was not entertained, as it had not been exhausted in prior proceedings. Furthermore, the BIA classified the petitioner's motion as a second and untimely motion to reopen, finding that he did not demonstrate exceptions to the time and number limitations under 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(c)(7)(C)(ii). The petitioner also failed to show a material change in country conditions, a prerequisite for justifying an untimely filing. Consequently, the petition for review was denied, the stay of removal was vacated, and any pending motions related to the stay were dismissed as moot. The court also denied requests for oral argument, thereby affirming the BIA's decision.

Legal Issues Addressed

Exhaustion of Procedural Error Arguments

Application: Petitioner's argument regarding procedural error was not considered due to lack of exhaustion.

Reasoning: Liang argued that the BIA abused its discretion in denying his prior motion to reopen due to a procedural error, but this argument was not previously exhausted and was thus not considered.

Material Change in Country Conditions Requirement

Application: The petitioner's failure to show a material change in country conditions justified the denial of an untimely motion to reopen.

Reasoning: The requirement of showing a material change in country conditions to justify an untimely filing was not met, leading to the denial being upheld.

Motions to Reopen under 8 C.F.R. § 1003.2(c)(1)

Application: The BIA denied the petitioner's motion to reopen due to failure to provide a new asylum application as required.

Reasoning: The BIA's denial was based on Liang's failure to provide a new asylum application as mandated by 8 C.F.R. § 1003.2(c)(1).

Time and Number Limits on Motions to Reopen under 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(c)(7)(C)(ii)

Application: The BIA treated the petitioner's motion as a second, untimely motion to reopen due to failure to demonstrate exceptions to statutory limits.

Reasoning: The BIA viewed Liang's motion as a second, untimely motion to reopen, and he did not demonstrate any exceptions to the time and number limits set forth under 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(c)(7)(C)(ii).