Ruiz-Flores

Ruiz-Flores v. Gonzales

Good Law
234 F. App'x 809
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitJuly 16, 2007No. 05-72723California236 words

Opinion

Lead Opinion

MEMORANDUM **

Jose Luis Ruiz-Flores, his wife Gloria Rojas-Chavez and daughter Andrea Celeste Ruiz-Rojas petition for review of an order of the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) denying their motion to reopen removal proceedings. We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . Reviewing for abuse of discretion, Maravilla Maravilla v. Ashcroft, 381 F.3d 855, 857 (9th Cir. 2004) (per curiam), we grant the petition for review, and remand.

The BIA abused its discretion when it applied the wrong standard to determine whether the performance of prior counsel resulted in prejudice to Ruiz-Flores and Rojas-Chavez. The BIA required Ruiz-Flores and Rojas-Chavez to demonstrate *810 their eligibility for cancellation of removal, when they need only demonstrate that the deficient performance by counsel may have affected the outcome of proceedings. See id. at 858-59 (BIA abused its discretion when it determined that counsel’s performance did not result in prejudice by directly adjudging whether the petitioners would win or lose their claim).

Accordingly, we remand for the BIA to determine, under the correct standard, whether Ruiz-Flores and Rojas-Chavez were prejudiced by prior counsel’s…

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