Juan Lopez-Aguiar v. Eric Holder, Jr.

MEMORANDUM

Juan Carlos Lopez-Aguiar, a native and citizen of Mexico, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order dismissing his appeal from an immigration judge’s order denying adjustment of status. We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . We review de novo questions of law. Garfias-Rodriguez v. Holder, 702 F.3d 504 , 512 n. 6 (9th Cir.2012) (en banc). We deny the petition for review.

Lopez-Aguiar contends that the agency erred in concluding that he was inadmissible under 8 U.S.C. § 1182 (a)(9)(C)(i)(I) and ineligible to adjust status under Matter of Briones, 24 I. & N. Dec. 355 (BIA 2007). The reasoning in Garfias-Rodriguez controls the analysis of whether Lopez-Aguiar can avoid the retroactive application of Briones. See Garfias-Rodriguez, 702 F.3d at 520 (holding that analysis under Montgomery Ward & Co., Inc. v. FTC, 691 F.2d 1322 (9th Cir.1982) is necessary to determine retroactive effect of Briones). Like the petitioner in Garfias-Rodriguez , Lopez-Aguiar initially applied for adjustment of status before Acosta v. Gonzales, 439 F.3d 550 (9th Cir.2006) was decided, and during Lopez-Aguiar’s proceedings the tension between 8 U.S.C. § 1255® and…