Valdiviezo-Aguilar v. Holder

NOT FOR PUBLICATION UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FILED FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT OCT 20 2010 MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK U .S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS ALEJANDRO HIGINIO VALDIVIEZO- No. 06-71787 AGUILAR, aka Alex Higinio Valdiviezo- Aguilar, Agency No. A026-975-077 Petitioner, MEMORANDUM * v. ERIC H. HOLDER, Jr., Attorney General, Respondent. On Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration Appeals Submitted October 5, 2010 ** Pasadena, California Before: CUDAHY,*** WARDLAW and W. FLETCHER, Circuit Judges. * This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3. ** The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2). *** The Honorable Richard D. Cudahy, Senior United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit, sitting by designation. Alejandro Higinio Valdiviezo-Aguilar petitions for review of the decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), which affirmed the Immigration Judge’s (IJ’s) conclusion that he is removable under INA § 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) as an alien convicted of committing an offense “relating to a controlled substance.” The IJ also determined that Valdiviezo-Aguilar is removable under INA § 212(a)(7)(A)(i)(I) as an alien present in the United States and not in possession of any valid entry document. Valvidezo-Aguilar did not contest that basis for finding removability before the BIA; nor does he challenge it in his petition for review before us. Because Valdiviezo-Aguilar is removable in any event under INA § 212(a)(7)(A)(i)(I), we would be unable to provide any effective relief even if we were to decide the merits of his § 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) claim in his favor. Accordingly, Valdiviezo-Aguilar’s petition for review is moot, and must be dismissed. See Equal Employment Opportunity Comm’n v. Fed. Express Corp., 558 F.3d 842, 846-47 (9th Cir. 2009) (quoting Pub. Util. Comm’n v. FERC, 100 F.3d 1451, 1458 (9th Cir. 1996)). DISMISSED.