Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-15-02376/USCOURTS-ca8-15-02376-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Loretta E. Lynch
Respondent
Paul Ngwenyi Ngugi
Petitioner

Document Text:

United States Court of Appeals

For the Eighth Circuit

___________________________

No. 15-2376

___________________________

Paul Ngwenyi Ngugi

lllllllllllllllllllllPetitioner

v.

Loretta E. Lynch, Attorney General of the United States

lllllllllllllllllllllRespondent

____________

Petition for Review of an Order of the

 Board of Immigration Appeals

____________

 Submitted: March 17, 2016

 Filed: June 27, 2016

____________

Before MURPHY, BEAM, and GRUENDER, Circuit Judges.

____________

GRUENDER, Circuit Judge.

Paul Ngugi, a native and citizen of Kenya, petitions for review of a decision of

the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) that affirmed an immigration judge’s (IJ)

denial of his petition for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the

Convention Against Torture (CAT). We deny the petition for review.

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I.

Ngugi is a citizen of Kenya and a member of the Kikuyu ethnic group. Before

coming to the United Statesin 2009, he worked in the transportation industry. While

working as a driver, Ngugi began to come in contact with members of the Mungiki,

a Kikuyu sect that, according to evidence presented by Ngugi, is “seen as Kenya’s

version of the mafia.” First, they demanded protection money from Ngugi. Later, 1

starting in March 2005, the Mungiki approached Ngugi to join them to help recruit

and train younger members. Ngugi had been recruiting and training new drivers and

bus conductors, encouraging them to become transport drivers instead of joining the

Mungiki. When Ngugi refused to join the Mungiki, they threatened him.

In early June 2005, four Mungiki members hijacked Ngugi’s minibus, ordering

everyone to the floor and directing Ngugi at gunpoint to drive them to a “slum,”

where they robbed the passengers and beat Ngugi. Later that month, six Mungiki

members armed with guns and knives attacked Ngugi at his home after he had parked

his minibus, robbing both him and the conductor. The Mungiki members demanded

to know why Ngugi had not joined them. Ngugi again refused to join them,

prompting the attackers to beat him, hit him with the butt of a gun, and stab him in

the thigh. Ngugi received treatment at a hospital for his injuries but did not report the

incident out of fear. Mungiki members attacked Ngugi again in August 2005 while

he was a passenger on a minibus. Although he tried to escape the Mungiki by

working for a long-distance driving company, they robbed and attacked him twice

more, in October and December 2008.

The Mungiki previously have been described as Kenya’s “largest criminal 1

organization.” Kanagu v. Holder, 781 F.3d 912, 914 n.1 (8th Cir. 2015). Their

criminal activity includes running protection rackets, “particularly in the public

transportation sector,” as well as “harass[ing] and intimidat[ing] residents.” Id.

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After those attacks, Ngugi left Kenya. He obtained a J-1 visa to attend the

University of Missouri-Columbia, entering the United States on March 22, 2009 with

authorization to remain until April 22, 2010. During this period, Ngugi met and

married Ruthie McKnight, a U.S. citizen. As McKnight intended to petition for

Ngugi to become a lawful permanent resident, he applied for a no-objection letter for

his J-1 visa and applied for waiver of the foreign-residence requirement. He received

approval of the waiver on February 1, 2011. Soon afterward, the couple decided to

divorce. 

Ngugifiled a FormI-589 application for asylumwith United StatesCitizenship

and Immigration Services in April 2011. On his application, he checked boxes

indicating that he was seeking asylum based on persecution on account of religion,

political opinion, membership in a particular social group, as well as seeking

protection under the CAT. He stated that the Mungiki had targeted him because they

wanted to control and profit from the transportation industry, and Ngugi was an

educated Kikuyu working in that industry. He further stated that he refused to join

the Mungiki because, as a Christian, he “d[id] not approve of the nature of their

group, or their activities.” In explaining his fear of harm upon return to Kenya, he

stated that “[t]he Mungiki group is mad at me because I have refused to join them,”

that theywere interested in himbecause of his education and demonstrated leadership

skills, and that the Mungiki targeted the transportation industry for extortion. 

Ngugi testified to the facts above at his hearing before the IJ. In his prehearing brief, Ngugi argued that he had been persecuted and that he had a wellfounded fear of persecution “based on his status as (1) the victim of crime, in this

case, extortion; (2) a Kikuyu who resisted recruitment by the Mungiki; and (3) a

member of the transportation industry.” He argued that his proposed particular social

groups were the same as the particular social group of “Mungiki defectors”

previously held socially visible in Kenya by this court in Gathungu v. Holder, 725

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F.3d 900, 908 (8th Cir. 2013). Ngugi also submitted documentary evidence that

included news articles and reports about the Mungiki.

The IJ issued a written decision denying Ngugi’s claims. With regard to

Ngugi’s asylum claim, the IJ first found that Ngugi had failed to establish past

persecution on account of his claimed bases of religion, membership in a particular

social group, or political opinion. The IJ reasoned that the Mungiki had not attacked

him “on account of” his religion but rather because they wished to recruit him. 

Likewise, the IJ found Ngugi’s political opinion to amount to no more than a

generalized opposition to the Mungiki’s criminal activity. Next, the IJ rejected

Ngugi’s proposed particular social groups of extortion victim, participant in the

transportation industry, and witness to Mungiki criminal activity. The IJ concluded

that “[a]fter reviewing the evidence, it would appear that [Ngugi] wastargeted by the

Mungiki because he refused to join their organization” and concluded that opposition

to gang activity or refusal to join criminal gangs were not bases for particular social

groups.

The IJ also found that Ngugi had failed to establish a well-founded fear of

future persecution because, even assuming the objectivity of Ngugi’s fear, his fear of

future harm was “based upon general conditions of crime and violence that affect all

Kenyans,” such that Ngugi’s fear was “not sufficiently ‘particularized.’” The IJ also

rejected Ngugi’s argument that he had a well-founded fear of persecution based on

membership in the recognized particular social group of Mungiki defectors because

Ngugi never had joined the Mungiki.

With Ngugi’s asylum claim rejected, the IJ necessarily rejected Ngugi’s

withholding-of-removal claim. Finally, the IJ rejected Ngugi’s CAT claim because

Ngugi had not presented evidence that he or any family member ever had undergone

torture in Kenya or that he would be at risk for torture upon return to Kenya.

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Ngugi appealed to the BIA. The BIA adopted and affirmed the IJ’s reasoning

and conclusions, dismissing Ngugi’s appeal and ordering Ngugi removed from the

United States. This petition for review followed.

II.

“We review questions of law de novo, and we review the agency’s factual

determinations under the substantial evidence standard.” De Castro-Gutierrez v.

Holder, 713 F.3d 375, 379 (8th Cir. 2013). “Under the substantial evidence standard,

the agency’s findings of fact must be upheld unless the alien demonstrates that the

evidence he presented not only supports a contrary conclusion but compels it.” Id.

(quoting Al Yatim v. Mukasey, 531 F.3d 584, 587 (8th Cir. 2008)). When, as here, the

BIA adopted the findings or reasoning of the IJ, we review the IJ’s decision as part

of the final BIA action. Etenyi v. Lynch, 799 F.3d 1003, 1006 (8th Cir. 2015). 

To establish eligibility for asylum, “an applicant must show that [he or] she is

unable or unwilling to return to [his or] her country of origin ‘because of persecution

or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality,

membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.’” Marroquin-Ochoma

v. Holder, 574 F.3d 574, 577 (8th Cir. 2009) (quoting 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42)(A)). 

“As the wording of the statute indicates, the alien must show not only persecution or

a fear of persecution, but also that such persecution is ‘on account of one of the five

protected grounds.’” Onsongo v. Gonzales, 457 F.3d 849, 852 (8th Cir. 2006)

(quoting Hassan v. Ashcroft, 388 F.3d 661, 666 (8th Cir. 2004)); see also Gomez v.

Gonzales, 425 F.3d 543, 545 (8th Cir. 2005) (“To reverse the finding that the alleged

persecution was not based on a protected ground, it is necessary that the record

compel the finding that a protected ground motivated the [persecution].”). Here,

substantial evidence supportsthe IJ’s and BIA’s conclusion that Ngugi did not suffer

persecution “on account of” his claimed protected grounds of political opinion,

religion, or membership in a particular social group.

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Ngugi first argues that he was persecuted on account of his political opinion. 

Although Ngugi did not advance before the IJ any specific political opinion he held

or that the Mungiki imputed to him, the IJ characterized Ngugi’s argument as

claiming a political opinion “related to his opposition to the criminal activity of the

Mungiki.” Ngugi attempts to bolster this characterization on appeal by urging that,

because the Mungiki participate in the corruption of the political process in Kenya,

his refusal to join them and his community activism in motivating others to refuse to

join themrepresented the expression of a political opinion. However, Ngugi testified

persistently that the Mungiki targeted him because they wanted him to join them and

to train their new recruits. Even if the Mungiki comprise a politically natured gang,

“the mere refusal to join [such a gang], without more, does not compel a finding that

the gang’s threats were on account of an imputed political opinion.” See MarroquinOchoma, 574 F.3d at 579. 

Ngugi next argues that he was persecuted on account of his religion, claiming

that, “as a practicing Christian, [he] could never join such a violent criminal group.”

However, Ngugi neither testified nor presented any other evidence that the Mungiki

were aware of his religious motivation for refusing to join them or of his religious

beliefs more generally. Cf. I.N.S. v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 483 (1992) (noting

that petitioner who resisted recruitment by guerillas “has to establish that the

record . . . compels the conclusion that he has a ‘well-founded fear’ that the guerillas

will persecute him because of [a protected ground], rather than because of his refusal

to fight with them”). Accordingly, the evidence does not compel us to find that the

Mungiki targeted him “on account of” his religious beliefs.

Ngugi also asserts that he suffered persecution on account of his membership

in two particular social groups: (1) witnessesto criminal activities ofthe Mungiki and

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(2) Kikuyus who resist recruitment by the Mungiki. “Whether a group is a

2

‘particular social group’ presents a question of law, which we review de novo.” 

Malonga v. Mukasey, 546 F.3d 546, 553 (8th Cir. 2008) “‘Particular social group’

is an ambiguous phrase, not defined in the statute. This court gives Chevron

deference to the BIA’s reasonable interpretation of the phrase.” Ngengwe v.

Mukasey, 543 F.3d 1029, 1033 (8th Cir. 2008) (citing Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Nat.

Res. Def. Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837, 842-45 (1984)). The BIA recently has clarified

the factors it considers in evaluating membership in a particular social group: the

petitioner “must establish that the group is (1) composed of members who share a

common immutable characteristic, (2) defined with particularity, and (3) socially

distinct within the society in question.” Matter of M-E-V-G-, 26 I. & N. Dec. 227,

237 (BIA 2014); see also Juarez Chilel v. Holder, 779 F.3d 850, 855 (8th Cir. 2015)

(applying Matter of M–E–V–G–). 

With respect to Ngugi’s argument that witnesses to the criminal activities of

the Mungiki constitute a particular social group, Ngugi presented no evidence to

support the conclusion that merely having seen or experienced crime would satisfy

the particularity orsocial-distinction prongs. Cf. Constanza v. Holder, 647 F.3d 749,

754 (8th Cir. 2011) (rejecting social groups that “are too diffuse to be recognized as

a particular social group”). Furthermore, Ngugi presented no evidence that he ever

On appeal, Ngugi attempts to argue that he suffered persecution on account

2

of his membership in another particular social group: Kikuyu youth mentors and

community leaders opposed to the Mungiki. However, Ngugi did not argue this

group before either the IJ or the BIA, despite the IJ’s admonition at Ngugi’s hearing

that this “might have been . . . a stronger argument.” Because “we lack jurisdiction

to consider arguments not clearly made before the agency,” Kanagu, 781 F.3d at 917,

we cannot consider this group here. Nor do we consider the social groups of

“Kenyans in the transportation industry” and “victims of extortion” that Ngugi argued

before the agency but has not argued on appeal to our court. See Mambwe v. Holder,

572 F.3d 540, 550 n.7 (8th Cir. 2009) (considering basis for asylum not raised in

opening brief as waived on appeal).

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served as a witness against the Mungiki in any public proceedings or, even if he had,

that Kenyan society “recognizes the unique vulnerability of people who testify against

gang members in criminal proceedings.” See Henriquez-Rivas v. Holder, 707 F.3d

1081, 1091-92 (9th Cir. 2013) (holding that those who testify in court against cartel

members fulfill the social-visibility prong because significant evidence showed

Salvadoran society recognized such witnesses, including through the passage of

legislation to protect them); see also Matter of C–A–, 23 I. & N. Dec. 951, 960 (BIA

2006) (limiting social visibility of informantsto those informants who are discovered

by cartel as a result of appearing as witnesses or otherwise coming to their attention). 

We thus agree with the IJ’s and BIA’s determination that witnesses to the criminal

activities of the Mungiki do not form a cognizable particular social group.

Likewise, Ngugi has offered no evidence that Kikuyus who resist recruitment

by the Mungiki are viewed as a socially distinct group within Kenyan society, nor

does he offer any authority to distinguish this proposed group from the groups of

persons resistant to gang violence or persons who suffer violence as a result of their

refusal to join a gang that we have held not to constitute particular social groups. See,

e.g., Juarez Chilel, 779 F.3d at 855; Constanza, 647 F.3d at 754. Ngugi argues that

this conclusion improperly fails to consider the Kenyan cultural context because the

effect of the Mungiki on Kenyan society is not the same as the effect of gangs in the

countries discussed in our prior opinions. Although we previously have recognized

the unique impact of Mungiki criminal activity in Kenya, see Kanagu, 781 F.3d at

914 n.1, this argument does nothing to shed light on the social distinction of Kikuyus

who resist Mungiki recruitment efforts. Accordingly, we agree with the IJ’s and

BIA’s determination that Kikuyus who resist recruitment by the Mungiki do not form

a cognizable particular social group.

Ngugi nonetheless argues that he is entitled to a new hearing because of the

change in particular-social-group analysis wrought by Matter of W–G–R–, 26 I. & N.

Dec. 208 (BIA 2014) and Matter of M–E–V–G–, 26 I. & N. Dec. 227 (BIA 2014). 

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Ngugi argues that these cases, which were published after the IJ’s decision, changed

the third component of the particular-social-group analysis from social visibility to

social distinction and that this change merits remand for consideration in the first

instance by the IJ. Compare Matter of S–E–G–, 24 I. & N. Dec. 579, 582 (BIA 2008)

(demonstrating that the third particular-social-group factor formerly required that the

group “possess a recognized level of social visibility”) with Matter of M–E–V–G–,

26 I. & N. Dec. at 237 (requiring that a particular social group be “socially distinct

within the society in question”). However, these cases merely clarified that “[l]iteral

or ‘ocular’ visibility” was not required under the prior social-visibility prong. See,

e.g., Matter of M–E–V–G–, 26 I. & N. Dec. at 238. Additionally, Ngugi has

“provide[d] no authority in support of his argument that a change in the BIA’s

explanation of ‘particular social group’ would alter the agency’s decision or

otherwise compel remand by our court.” See Kanagu, 781 F.3d at 919. Indeed,

although those precedents arose after the IJ issued its ruling, the BIA applied them

in affirming the IJ’s rejection of Ngugi’s particular-social-group claims. We thus

decline to remand on this issue. See id.

Without a showing of past persecution, Ngugi does not benefit from the

presumption of a well-founded fear of future persecution. See 8 C.F.R.

§ 208.13(b)(1); Gomez, 425 F.3d at 546. The burden of proof to show a well-founded

fear thus falls to Ngugi. See Gomez, 425 F.3d at 546. Here, Ngugi argues that he

fears future persecution on account of his membership in the particular social group

of Mungiki defectors, a group we previously have recognized. Gathungu, 725 F.3d

at 907-08. He admits that he never belonged to the Mungiki and thus could not have

defected from them but nonetheless urges that Kikuyus who resist recruitment into

the Mungiki are analogous to defectors. We disagree. In Gathungu, we considered

Mungiki defectors to constitute a particular social group because the record

demonstrated that Kenyan society perceived them as a specific group targeted by the

Mungiki, as evidenced by detailed reports ofmurderstargetingMungiki defectors and

a higher incidence of crime by the Mungiki against defectors than against Kenyans

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in general. Id. at 908. Because Ngugi presents no comparable evidence regarding

Kikuyus who resist recruitment into the Mungiki and because Ngugi never joined the

Mungiki, however, we decline to apply this reasoning to his case. 

Accordingly, substantial evidence supports the BIA’s conclusion that Ngugi

failed to establish his eligibility for asylum. Because Ngugi failed to meet his burden

of proof for asylum, he necessarily fails to meet the higher burden of proof required

for withholding of removal. See 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(3); Fofana v. Holder, 704 F.3d

554, 558 (8th Cir. 2013).

III.

For the reasons set forth above, we deny Ngugi’s petition for review.3

______________________________

Ngugi does not raise any arguments on appeal as to the denial of his CAT

3

claim, so we consider this claim waived. See Juarez Chilel, 779 F.3d at 856 n.2.

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