T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

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orthe E a s t e rn D i s tr i c tof W i s c ons i n, s i tt i ng byde s i gna t i on. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T AD RI AN HERNAN DEZ- SANCHEZ, P et i t i on er , v. E R I C H . H O L D E R , J r ., A tto rn e yG e n e r a l, R e s p o n d e n t. N o. 07- 73259 A ge nc yN o. A 70- 919- 484 ME MOR AN DU M *

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I m m i g r a t i o n Ap p e a l s ( B I A)



# FI LED MA R 04 2011 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

r e ve r s i ng the de c i s i on of a n i m m i gr a t i on j udge gr ant i ng hi m hum ani t ar i an a s y l um u n d e r8 C .F .R . § 1 2 0 8 .1 3 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( iii) ( B ) . W e a f f irm th e B I A ’s d e c is io n . P et i t i on erappl i ed for a sy l um , w i thh ol di ng of re m ov aland p rot ec t i on un der T h e C o n v e n tio n A g a in s t T o rtu r e , c la im in g p a s t p e r s e c u tio n b yG u a te m a lan a n tigo vernm entgu erri l l as because of hi s e thn i ci ty, re l i gi on and i m pu t ed po l i t i ca l o p in io n . T h e B I A f

o u n dth a t th e r e w a s n o e v id e n c e th a t g u e rr illa s p e r s e c u te dh im on a c c ountof

as t a tut or i l ypr ot e c t e d gr ound ortha the f e ar e d f utur e pe r s e c ut i on on s u c h ag r o u n d . T h e B I A a ls o c o n c lu d e dth a t h u m an itar ian a s y lu m u n d e r8 C .F .R . § 1208. 13( b) ( 1) ( i i i ) ( B ) i s una va i l abl e i n the abs e nc e of pa s tpe r s e c ut i on ba s e d on a pr ot e c t e d gr ound. T o e s tab lis h e lig ib ilityf o ra s y lu m , p e titio n e rm u s t d e m o n s tr a te th a t h e m e e ts the st atut ory def

i ni t i on of a “ re fugee. ” 8 U . S . C . § 1 15 8(b)(1)(B)(I) ; B arra zaR i vera v. I N S , 913 F . 2d 1443, 1449 ( 9th C i r . 1990) . A r e f uge e i s ape r s on “ unabl e or un w i l l i ng t o return t o . . . [hi s] coun trybecause of per se cut i on or a w el l -f ou nd ed f e a rof pe r s e c ut i on on a c c ountof r a c e , r e l i gi on, na t i ona l i ty , m e m be r s hi p i n a p a rt i c u l a rs o c i a l g r o up , o rp o l i t i c a l o p i n i o n . ” 8 U. S . C . § 1 1 0 1 ( a ) ( 4 2 ) ( A) . An ap p l i can tcan d em o n strat e th ath e i s a refu g ee b y p ro du ci n g ev i d en ce o f p ast pe r s e c ut i on oraw e l l - f

ounde d f e arof f utur e pe r s e c ut i on ba s e d on one of the prot ec t ed st atut ory groun ds. K az l auskas v. IN S , 46 F . 3d90 2, 90 5 (9th C i r. 19 95 ).3

P e r s e c u tio n b a s e do n r e s is tan c e to f o r c e dc o n s c r ip tio n b yag u e rr illa organi zat i on do es no tconst i tut e per se cut i on on a prot ec t ed grou nd abse ntevi dence s how i ng tha tthe gue rr i l l a ’ s a c t i ons w e r e m ot i va t e d byapr ot e c t e d gr ound. T e c un- F l or i a n v. I N S , 207 F . 3d 1107, 1109 ( 9th C i r . 2000) ( c i t i ng I N S v. E li as -Z ac ar ias, 5 0 2 U .S . 4 7 8 , 4 8 3 -8 4 (1 9 9 2 )) . In th e p re se n t cas e, th e B IA ’s f a c tu a l f in d in g th a t p e titio n e rw a s n o t p e r s e c u te db a s e do n ap r o te c te dg r o u n dis

“ supp ort ed by re as on abl e, subst ant i al , and p robat i ve evi dence on the re cord consi dere d as aw ho l e” and thu s m ustbe up hel d. T he evi dence does notcom pel r e ve r s a l . E l i a s - Z a c a r i a s , 502 U . S . 481 n. 1. S ubs t ant i a l e vi de nc e s upport s the B I A ’s c o n c lu s io n th a t p e titio n e rf a ile dto e s tab lis h p a s t p e r s e c u tio n . U nde r8 C . F . R . § 1208. 13( b) ( 1) ( i i i ) ( B ) , avi c t i m of pa s tpe r s e c ut i on on a prot ec t ed grou nd w ho no l on ger has a w el l -f ou nd ed fe arof future pers ec ut i on m ay b e g r a n te dh u m a n itar ian a s y lu m w h e n th e r e is ar e a s o n ab le p o s s ib ilityth a t h e w ill s uf f e rothe rs e r i ous ha rm upon r e m ova l . B e l i s ht av. A s hc r of t , 378 F . 3d 1078, 1080 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) . H o w e v e r , h u m a n itar ian a s y lu m is u n a v a ilab le to a n ap p lic an t, su ch as p et i t i o n er, w h o h as n o tb een fo u n dt o h av e b een sub j ect edt o p ast pe r s e c ut i on ba s e d on apr ot e c t e d gr ound. I d. ; M oha m m e d v. G onz a l e s , 400 F . 3d 7 8 5 , 8 0 1 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) . T h u s , th e B I A c o rr e c tlyd e te rm in e dth a t p e titio n e ris in e lig ib le f

o rh u m a n itar ian a s y lu m . PETI TI O N D EN I ED .