Case Explained: PASCUAL CRISTOBAL V. BLANCHE

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Filed: 2026-06-29 The ninth-circuit denied the petition for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ order denying Gervasio Pascual Cristobal’s motion to reopen his removal proceedings. The court held that the BIA did not abuse its discretion in finding the motion untimely because it was filed more than one year after the final removal order, failing to meet the statutory requirement under 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(c)(7)(C)(i) that such motions be filed within ninety days. Furthermore, the court found that Cristobal did not demonstrate changed country conditions in Guatemala sufficient to qualify for an exception to the filing deadline under 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(c)(7)(C)(ii), noting that evidence must be “qualitatively different” to warrant reopening as established in *Najmabadi v. Holder*. As a practical consequence, the petition is denied, the request for remand is rejected, and all pending motions, including the motion to stay removal, are dismissed as moot. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.