NOT PRECEDENTIAL
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT
___________
No. 10-4335
___________
JIA YING LIN,
Petitioner
v.
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES,
Respondent
____________________________________
On Petition for Review of an Order of the
Board of Immigration Appeals
(Agency No. A077-997-644)
Immigration Judge: Charles Honeyman
____________________________________
Submitted Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 34.1(a)
April 1, 2011
Before: MCKEE, Chief Judge, SMITH and GARTH, Circuit Judges
(Opinion filed: April 1, 2011)
___________
OPINION
___________
PER CURIAM
Jia Ying Lin is a Chinese citizen from Fujian province who attempted to
unlawfully enter the United States with a fake Taiwanese passport. Lin was charged with
removability under INA §§ 212(a)(6)(C)(i) and 212(a)(7)(A)(i)(I), and placed in removal
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proceedings. An Immigration Judge sitting in York, Pennsylvania denied his applications
for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture.
On October 5, 2005, the Immigration Judge‟s decision was affirmed by the Board of
Immigration Appeals (BIA), and Lin was ordered to be removed to China. We denied
Lin‟s petition for review. See Lin v. Att‟y Gen., 214 F. App‟x 237 (3d Cir. 2007).
Over four years after the BIA issued its decision, Lin filed a motion to reopen
removal proceedings. In that motion, Lin argued that his “personal circumstances as well
as country conditions in China have changed greatly since the Immigration Judge issued
the Order of Removal.” Specifically, Lin described his recent political activism in the
United States: he joined the “Federation for a Democratic China” (FDC), wrote articles
for the FDC, participated in FDC-sponsored protests, and “distributed propaganda to
promote the FDC.” Lin stated that “Chinese authorities have discovered [his]
membership and involvement with the FDC in the United States, and have expressed
their desire to arrest him.”
In an October 15, 2010 decision, the BIA denied Lin‟s motion. The BIA
determined that the motion was untimely, and that Lin “has not demonstrated that he is
subject to any of the exceptions to the limitations on motions to reopen.” Specifically,
the BIA determined that Lin‟s FDC activities “are tantamount to a change in personal
circumstances and do not constitute „changed country conditions arising in the country of
nationality.‟” In addition, the BIA stated that Lin “does not meaningfully identify how
[the evidence submitted] reflects „changed‟ conditions in China regarding the treatment
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of political dissidents, political organizations, or other similarly situated.” The BIA also
declined to exercise its sua sponte reopening authority. This petition for review
followed.1
The BIA did not abuse its discretion by denying Lin‟s motion to reopen removal
proceedings. See Borges v. Gonzales, 402 F.3d 398, 404 (3d Cir. 2005) (providing
standard of review). To begin with, there is no question that Lin‟s motion to reopen was
untimely filed. See 8 C.F.R. § 1003.2(c)(2). We also conclude that Lin has not shown
“changed circumstances” in China, as an exception to § 1003.2(c)(2), for substantially the
reasons given in the BIA‟s decision. See also Liu v. Att‟y Gen., 555 F.3d 145, 151 (3d
Cir. 2009) (alien who illegally remains in the United States following an order of removal
cannot file successive asylum application based on change in personal circumstances
unless accompanied by motion to reopen based on changed country conditions). Finally,
Lin does not dispute that we lack jurisdiction to review the BIA‟s refusal to reopen
proceedings sua sponte. See Calle-Vujiles v. Ashcroft, 320 F.3d 472, 475 (3d Cir. 2003).
Accordingly, the petition for review will be denied.
1
We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252. Kucana v. Holder, --- U.S. ---, 130
S. Ct. 827, 840 (2010).
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