Melvin Alvarado Ponce v. Eric H. Holder Jr.

MEMORANDUM

Melvin Wilfredo Alvarado Ponce, a native and citizen of El Salvador, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ order dismissing his appeal from an immigration judge’s removal order. We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . We review de novo questions of law, Khan v. Holder, 584 F.3d 773, 776 (9th Cir.2009), and we grant the petition for review and remand.

Because Alvarado Ponce was charged as inadmissible under 8 U.S.C. § 1182 (a)(2)(A)(i)(I) upon his return to the United States, the agency erred in finding that he was ineligible for former section 212(c) relief. See 8 U.S.C. § 1182 (c) (repealed 1996); Abebe v. Mukasey, 554 F.3d 1203, 1205 (9th Cir.2009) (en banc) (per curiam) (“Under its plain language, section 212(c) gives the Attorney General discretion to grant lawful permanent residents relief only from inadmissibility — not deportation.”) (emphasis in original). We remand to the agency to allow Alvarado Ponce to apply for former section 212(c) relief.

PETITION FOR REVIEW GRANTED; REMANDED.

This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.