Lazaro Gonzalez Arnet v. U.S. Attorney General


Case: 19-13685 Date Filed: 06/25/2020 Page: 1 of 10 [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT ________________________ No. 19-13685 Non-Argument Calendar ________________________ Agency No. A201-419-730 LAZARO GONZALEZ ARNET, Petitioner, versus U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL, Respondent. ________________________ Petition for Review of a Decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals ________________________ (June 25, 2020) Before WILSON, BRANCH, and FAY, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM: Case: 19-13685 Date Filed: 06/25/2020 Page: 2 of 10 Lazaro Gonzalez Arnet (“Gonzalez”) appeals the Board of Immigration Appeal’s (“BIA”) decision, which held that Gonzalez waived his right to appeal the Immigration Judge’s (“IJ”) denial of his application for asylum, pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”) § 208(a), 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a), withholding of removal under the INA § 241(b)(3), 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(3), and relief under the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (“CAT”), 8 C.F.R. § 1208.16(c). Because we agree with the BIA that Gonzalez’s appeal waiver was knowing and intelligent, we affirm. I. Gonzalez, a native and citizen of Cuba, attempted to enter the United States through the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville, Texas on November 15, 2018. The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) subsequently charged him with removability under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(7)(A)(i)(I) for being present in the country without a valid entry document. Gonzalez, proceeding pro se throughout the immigration court proceedings, appeared before the same IJ three times. He first appeared before the IJ on January 9, 2019. At the beginning of that initial hearing, the IJ, through a Spanish interpreter, advised Gonzalez of his rights. Regarding the right to appeal, the IJ stated: 2 Case: 19-13685 Date Filed: 06/25/2020 Page: 3 of 10 After your hearing, I’ll review all of the testimony and documents and make a decision about deportation. If you disagree with my decision, you have the right to ask our Superior Court to review my decision for legal error. This is called an appeal. If you choose to appeal, you would have 30 days from the date of my decision to notify that Superior Court that you want to appeal. On the back of the list of attorneys that I talked about earlier is an explanation for how to file an appeal, including how to ask for a waiver of the filing fee. It is not required that you have an attorney to file an appeal. You may file an appeal on your own. In any case, you would not be removed from the United States while your case is being appealed. If you give up your right to appeal and accept my decision, then my decision would be final the day it is announced. If you understand all these rights as I’ve explained them to you, please raise your hand. Gonzalez indicated that he understood. The IJ found that Gonzalez was removable as charged. The IJ asked Gonzalez if wished to apply for asylum, withholding of removal, and CAT relief, and Gonzalez ...

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