2023 Supreme(US)(ca5) 110
COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
Rodriguez Gonzalez – Appellant
Versus
Garland – Respondent
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit
FILED March 3, 2023 No. 22-60091 Lyle W. Cayce Clerk
Roberto Rodriguez Gonzalez,
Petitioner,
versus
Merrick Garland, U.S. Attorney General,
Respondent.
Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration Appeals A079 744 164
Before Wiener, Elrod, and Engelhardt, Circuit Judges. Per Curiam: Petitioner seeks review of a final order of removal by the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”). He alleges that the BIA and the Immigration Judge (“IJ”) committed legal error in concluding that he was ineligible for asylum because of a conviction of Texas aggravated robbery. We disagree and deny his petition for review. I. Background Roberto Rodriguez Gonzalez (“Petitioner”) is a native citizen of Mexico who received lawful permanent resident status in the United States Case: 22-60091 Document: 00516664844 Page: 2 Date Filed: 03/03/2023
No. 22-60091
in 2003. In 2014, he pleaded guilty to Texas aggravated robbery and was
sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.
Subsequently he received a Notice to Appear from the Department of
Homeland Security in which he was charged as removable because of his
conviction. An IJ found him removable and, further, ineligible for asylum due
to his conviction. The BIA affirmed. Following the Supreme Court’s
decision in Sessions v. Dimaya, 138 S. Ct 1204 (2018), in which it was held
that the “crime of violence” designation in the relevant removal statute was
unconstitutionally vague, id. at 1210, the Petitioner moved to reopen
proceedings. An IJ again found him ineligible for asylum due to his conviction
and, independently, ineligible for deferral of removal under the Convention
Against Torture (“CAT”). The BIA affirmed, and the Petitioner filed a
petition for review in this court.
II. Law and Analysis
As a general matter, we “only have authority to review the BIA’s
decision, although we may also review the IJ’s decision when it has some
impact on the BIA’s decision, as when the BIA has adopted all or part of the
IJ’s reasoning.” Enriquez-Gutierrez v. Holder,
2 Case: 22-60091 Document: 00516664844 Page: 3 Date Filed: 03/03/2023
No. 22-60091
Under 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(A)(iii), an “alien who is convicted of an aggravated felony at any time after