Reineria Estremor v. U.S. Attorney General ( 2022 )


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  • USCA11 Case: 21-10324      Date Filed: 04/14/2022      Page: 1 of 4
    [DO NOT PUBLISH]
    In the
    United States Court of Appeals
    For the Eleventh Circuit
    ____________________
    No. 21-10324
    Non-Argument Calendar
    ____________________
    REINERIA ESTREMOR,
    Petitioner,
    versus
    U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL,
    Respondent.
    ____________________
    Petition for Review of a Decision of the
    Board of Immigration Appeals
    Agency No. A079-458-926
    ____________________
    USCA11 Case: 21-10324        Date Filed: 04/14/2022     Page: 2 of 4
    2                      Opinion of the Court                21-10324
    Before JORDAN, NEWSOM, and ANDERSON, Circuit Judges.
    PER CURIAM:
    Reineria Estremor seeks review of the Board of Immigration
    Appeals’ (“BIA”) final order affirming the Immigration Judge’s
    (“IJ”) denial of her application for cancellation of removal under
    the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”), § 240A(b)(2)(A)(i)(I),
    8 U.S.C. § 1229b(b)(2)(A)(i)(I), based on an adverse credibility de-
    termination. She argues that the IJ based the adverse credibility
    determination on preconceived stereotypes regarding abuse survi-
    vors, substantial evidence does not support the adverse credibility
    determination, and substantial evidence supports her case.
    We review our jurisdiction de novo. Lin v. U.S. Att’y Gen.,
    
    881 F.3d 860
    , 866 (11th Cir. 2018). We also consider jurisdictional
    issues sua sponte. Patel v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 
    971 F.3d 1258
    , 1272 n.17
    (11th Cir. 2020) (en banc), cert. granted, (U.S. June 28, 2021)
    (No. 20-979).
    We may review an argument only if the petitioner “has ex-
    hausted all administrative remedies available to the alien as of
    right.” INA § 242(d)(1), 
    8 U.S.C. § 1252
    (d)(1). The exhaustion re-
    quirement is jurisdictional, so the failure to exhaust precludes our
    review of a claim that was not presented to the BIA. Lin, 881 F.3d
    at 867. “This is not a stringent requirement” and only requires that
    the petitioner “previously argued the core issue now on appeal be-
    fore the BIA.” Indrawati v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 
    779 F.3d 1284
    , 1297
    USCA11 Case: 21-10324         Date Filed: 04/14/2022     Page: 3 of 4
    21-10324                Opinion of the Court                         3
    (11th Cir. 2015) (quotation marks omitted). “Though exhaustion
    does not require a petitioner to use precise legal terminology or
    provide a well[-]developed argument to support her claim, it does
    require that she provide information sufficient to enable the BIA to
    review and correct any errors below.” 
    Id.
     (quotation marks omit-
    ted, alteration in original). “Unadorned, conclusory statements do
    not satisfy this requirement.” 
    Id.
     Accordingly, in determining
    whether a petitioner has exhausted a claim, we “must look to the
    substance of the appeal [before the BIA] for facts and allegations
    that make manifest the petitioner’s attempt to raise this claim be-
    fore the BIA.” Id. at 1298.
    Under the discretionary decision jurisdictional bar, we lack
    jurisdiction to review “any judgment regarding the granting of” an
    application for cancellation of removal under INA § 240A, 8 U.S.C.
    § 1229b. INA § 242(a)(2)(B)(i), 
    8 U.S.C. § 1252
    (a)(2)(B)(i); see Patel,
    971 F.3d at 1272. Under the jurisdiction bar, we may consider con-
    stitutional claims and questions of law regarding cancellations of
    removal, but we cannot review factual determinations or claims of
    abuse of discretion in that context. INA § 242(a)(2)(D), 
    8 U.S.C. § 1252
    (a)(2)(D); Alvarez-Acosta v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 
    524 F.3d 1191
    ,
    1196-97 (11th Cir. 2008). An adverse credibility finding is a factual
    conclusion, not a legal one. Wu v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 
    712 F.3d 486
    ,
    493 (11th Cir. 2013) (reviewing an adverse credibility determina-
    tion like “other factual findings”) (quotation marks omitted). We
    review adverse credibility determinations for substantial evidence,
    and when an IJ bases an adverse credibility finding on stereotypes,
    USCA11 Case: 21-10324        Date Filed: 04/14/2022     Page: 4 of 4
    4                      Opinion of the Court                21-10324
    that finding is speculative and unsupported by substantial evidence.
    See Todorovic v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 
    621 F.3d 1318
    , 1325 (11th Cir.
    2010).
    The Attorney General may cancel an alien’s removal if she
    shows that her lawful permanent resident spouse battered or sub-
    jected her to extreme cruelty. INA § 240A(b)(2)(A)(i)(II), 8 U.S.C.
    § 1229b(b)(2)(A)(i)(II). She must also demonstrate that (1) she has
    been continuously physically present in the United States for the
    prior three years; (2) she has been a person of good moral character
    throughout her presence in the United States; (3) she is not inad-
    missible under other statutory provisions; and (4) she or a qualify-
    ing family member would suffer extreme hardship if she were re-
    moved.                INA       § 240A(b)(2)(A)(ii)-(v),    8 U.S.C.
    § 1229b(b)(2)(A)(ii)-(v).
    We lack jurisdiction over Estremor’s petition because she
    challenges a judgment denying her application for cancellation of
    removal without raising a constitutional claim or question of law.
    Rather, her stereotyping argument amounts to a claim that the
    agency speculated and wrongly weighed the evidence, which is an
    issue regarding substantial evidence that does not qualify as a legal
    argument that we may review. Further, before the BIA, Estremor
    did not argue that the IJ misstated the record as a legal matter.
    Therefore, she failed to exhaust that argument, and we lack juris-
    diction to consider it. Accordingly, we dismiss the petition.
    PETITION DISMISSED.
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 21-10324

Filed Date: 4/14/2022

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 4/14/2022