Kalaw

In these consolidated petitions, we consider the effect of the transitional rules of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (“IIRIRA”) on our jurisdiction to review the Attorney General’s discretionary decisions regarding suspension of deportation. Because the transitional rules removed direct judicial review of discretionary decisions made by the Attorney General within the prescribed time limits, we dismiss the petitions for lack of jurisdiction.

I

, Prior, to passage of IIRIRA, 1 parties who wished to appeal any decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) would file a petition for, review in the court of appeals for the circuit in. which the administrative proceedings had been held. See Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”) § 106(a) (formerly codified at 8 U.S.C. § 1105a).

IIRIRA dramatically altered this court’s jurisdiction to review final deportation and exclusion orders. It introduced sweeping changes into our immigration laws, including the specific repeal of the judicial review procedures previously provided under INA § 106. IIRIRA’s replacement section for judicial review, new INA § 242, purports to vest the BIA with final…