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.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l yc onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l ar g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2). 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 M IG U E L A N G E L B A T R E S , a. k. a. M i gu elA ng elB atre s H ernand ez , 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. 08- 74245 A ge nc yN o. A 095- 138- 885 ME MOR AN DU M *

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I m m i gr a t i on A ppe a l s ’ ( “ B I A ” ) or de r s de ny i ng hi s m ot i on to file an u n ti m ely b rief an dd ism issin g h is ap p ea l fro m an im m ig ra ti o n ju d g e’s de c i s i on ( “ I J ” ) de ny i ng hi s appl i c a t i on f ora s y l um , w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l , a nd 

# FI LED FEB 25 2 011 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS08- 74245 2 re l i ef un der the C on vent i on A gai nstT orture ( “ C A T ”) . W e have j uri sdi ct i on un der 8 U . S . C . § 1 2 5 2 . W e rev i ew fo r su b st an t i al ev i d en ce th e ag en cy’ s factu al fi n d i n g s, Sa ntos-L em us v. Mukasey , 542 F . 3d 738, 742 ( 9th C i r . 2008) , f orabus e of d is c r e tio n th e B I A ’s r e

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older , 622 F . 3d 1 0 0 7 , 1 0 1 2 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 1 0 ) , a n dd e n o v o c la im s o f du e p r o c e s s v io la tio n s in im m ig r a tio n p r o c e e d in g s , Sa ndoval-L un a v. Mukasey , 5 2 6 F .3 d1 2 4 3 , 1 2 4 6 ( 9 th C i r . 2 0 0 8 ) . We d e n yth e p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w. B a tr e s c o n te n d s th e B I A f a ile dto a d d r e s s h is r e lig io n c la im , a n dth a t h is C hr i s t i a n r e l i gi on w a s one c e ntr a l r e a s on f orthe ha rm he s uf

f e r e d f r om ga ng m em bers . C on traryt o B atre s’ cont ent i on , the B IA agre ed w i th the IJ ’ s f i nd i ng that B a tr e s f a i l e d t o de m ons tr at e the r e qui s i t e ne xus t o apr ot e c t e d gr ound, i nc l udi ng h is r e lig io n . Se e Mo l i n a - Es tra da v . I NS , 293 F . 3d 1089, 1093 ( 9th C i r . 2002) ( “W h e r e . . . th e B I A h a s r e v ie w e dth e I J ’s d e c is io n a n din c o rp o r a te dp o rtio n s o f it a s its o w n , w e tr e a t th e in c o rp o r a te dp a rts o f th e I J ’s d e c is io n a s th e B I A ’s .” ) . F u rth e r , s u b s tan tia l e v id e n c e s up p o rts th e a g e n c y ’s f in d in g th a t B a tr e s f

a ile dto de m ons tr a t e one c e ntr a l r e a s on f orthe ga ng’ s a tt a c k w a s hi s r e l i gi on be c aus e he te s tif ie dg a n g m e m b e r s th r e a te n e dto a tta c kh im if h e d idn o t jo in th e g a n g , n o t if h e c o n tin u e dto p r a c tic e C h r is tian ity . Se e I N S v . E l i as - Zac ar i as , 502 U . S . 478, 483 ( 1992) ( the pe t i t i one rm us te s t abl i s h “ tha tthe r e c or d a l s o c om pe l s the c onc l us i on08- 74245 3 th a th e h a s a‘ w e l l - f

o u n d e df e a r ’ th a tth e g u e rr i l l a s w i l l p e r s e c u t e h i m be c aus e of thatpo l i t i ca l op i ni on , rather than b ec ause of hi s r ef usalt o fi gh tw i th them ”) ( e m p h a s is in o r ig in a l) ; se e al so P arussim ova v. Mukasey , 555 F . 3d 734, 740- 41 ( 9th C i r . 2009) ( “ [ t ] he R e a l I D A c tr e qui r e s tha tapr ot e c t e d gr ound r e pr e s e nt‘ one cen tral reaso n ’ fo r an asyl u m ap p l i can t ’ s p ersecu t i o n ”). A cco rd i n g l y, B atres’ a s y lu m a n dw ith h o ld in g o f r e m o v a l c la im s f

a il. See O choa v. G on zales , 406 F . 3d 1166, 1172 ( 9th C i r . 2005) . S ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e a l s o s upport s the a ge nc y ’ s f i ndi ng tha tB a tr e s di d not e s t abl i s h al i ke l i hood of t ortur e by , a tthe i ns t i ga t i on of , orw i th the c ons e ntor a c q u ie s c e n c e o f

th e S a lv a d o r a n g o v e rn m e n t. Se e Zh e n gv . A s h c r o ft , 332 F . 3d 1 1 8 6 , 1 1 9 6 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 3 ) . W e r e je c t B a tr e s ’ c o n te n tio n th a t th e B I A e n g a g e din fa ct fi nd i ng i n the fi rs ti nst ance . T h e B I A d idn o t ab u s e its d is c r e tio n in d e c lin in g to a c c e p t B a tr e s ’ u n tim e ly b r ie f , s e e Ze t i no , 6 2 2 F .3 da t 1 0 1 3 ( c o n c lu d in g th e ap p lic ab le r e g u la tio n s in d ic a te th e B I A “ could h ave c ons i de r e d” the br i e f , buti tw a s unde rno obl i ga t i on t o do s o, a n dth e B I A “d idn o t a c t arb itr a r ily , irr a tio n a lly , o rc o n tr a ryto th e law ” in d e c lin in g to d o s o ) , an dB a tr e s ’ c o n te n tio n th a t th e B I A d idn o t a d e q u a te lye x p la in its r e a s o n f

o rd e c lin in g to a c c e p t th e u n tim e lyb r ie f is b e lie db yth e r e c o r d , c f. G arci a-G om ezv. G on zales , 49 8 F . 3d 10 50 , 10 51 (9th C i r. 20 07 ). F i n a l l y , we08- 74245 4 r e j e c tB a tr e s ’ c ont e nt i on tha tthe B I A ’ s de ni a l of hi s m ot i on vi ol a t e d hi s due pr oc e s s r i ght s be c aus e hi s f a i l ur e t o f

i l e at i m e l ybr i e f

w a s notdue t o the a c t i ons of the B IA , and the B IA consi dere d the ar gu m ent s he r ai se d i n h i s not i ce of appeal a n da d d r e s s e da ll c la im s o f r e lie f r a is e db e f

o r e th e I J . Se e Ze t i no , 62 2 F . 3d at 1013- 14. P E T I T I ON F OR RE V I E W DE NI E D.