Benitez-Maldonado
Benitez-Maldonado v. Ashcroft
Opinion
Lead Opinion
MEMORANDUM **
Agapito Benitez-Maldonado, a native and citizen of Mexico, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) summary affirmance of an immigration judge’s (“IJ”) denial of his application for cancellation of removal. To the extent we have jurisdiction, it is conferred by 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . We dismiss in part and deny in part the petition for review.
Although we lack jurisdiction to review the IJ’s determination regarding “exceptional and extremely unusual hardship,” Romero-Torres v. Ashcroft, 327 F.3d 887, 890 (9th Cir.2003), we retain jurisdiction to determine whether the IJ’s interpretation of the hardship standard violates due process, Ramirez-Perez v. Ashcroft, 336 F.3d 1001, 1004 (9th Cir.2003).
Reviewing de novo, we conclude that there was no due process violation because the IJ noted that, even applying the less stringent “extreme hardship” standard required for suspension of deportation, he would have denied relief. See id. at 1007 ; Sanchez-Cruz v. INS, 255 F.3d 775, 779 (9th Cir.2001) (requiring prejudice to establish a due process violation in immigration proceedings).