USCA11 Case: 20-13003 Date Filed: 03/09/2021 Page: 1 of 10 [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT ________________________ No. 20-13003 Non-Argument Calendar ________________________ Agency No. A213-301-130 RUBEN VALENTIN BLANCOS-REYES, Petitioner, versus U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL, Respondent. ________________________ Petition for Review of a Decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals ________________________ (March 9, 2021) Before NEWSOM, BRASHER, and ANDERSON, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM: USCA11 Case: 20-13003 Date Filed: 03/09/2021 Page: 2 of 10 Ruben Valentin Blancos-Reyes * seeks review of a Board of Immigration Appeals decision (the “BIA”) affirming the immigration judge’s denial of his motion for a third continuance to file an application for asylum. Upon consideration, we deny his petition for review. I. Blancos-Reyes is a native and citizen of Cuba who entered the United States in the summer of 2019 without a valid entry document. The Department of Homeland Security placed Blancos-Reyes in removal proceedings and provided him a list of lawyers and local organizations who could assist him during his proceedings. At his initial master calendar hearing on October 8th, Blancos-Reyes and several other individuals appeared pro se before the immigration judge. The immigration judge explained that they had a right to a lawyer, reminded them of the list of lawyers and local organizations that they received earlier, and stated that he would delay an individual’s hearing upon request to allow that individual to obtain counsel. Blancos-Reyes then indicated that he wanted time to obtain a lawyer. The immigration judge granted his request and continued his removal proceedings until December 5th. The immigration judge further explained that in light of the generous time period granted for obtaining counsel, if Blancos-Reyes appeared without * Throughout the record and the briefing before this Court, the petitioner is referred to as “Blancos- Reyes,” “Blanco-Reyes,” “Blanco Reyes,” and “Blancos.” For consistency, he is referred to as “Blancos-Reyes” in this opinion. 2 USCA11 Case: 20-13003 Date Filed: 03/09/2021 Page: 3 of 10 counsel on December 5th, it would be determined that he had waived his right to counsel and that he would represent himself. Blancos-Reyes indicated that he understood these instructions. On December 5th, Blancos-Reyes again appeared pro se before the immigration judge. Blancos-Reyes told the immigration judge that he had recently hired an attorney who “just started on the case.” The immigration judge found that in light of the instructions from the previous hearing, Blancos-Reyes had waived his right to counsel and would be representing himself. But he also explained that Blancos-Reyes could obtain counsel at any time and that his counsel could immediately begin helping him. The immigration judge then provided Blancos- Reyes with an application for asylum and for withholding of removal known as a Form I-589. The immigration judge further explained that if Blancos-Reyes did not have the application completed and ready for submission at the next hearing on January 2, 2020, he would find the application abandoned. On December 26th, Blancos-Reyes, proceeding with counsel, filed a motion for continuance until January …
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