# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls

For the Eig hth Circu it

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _

No. 1 6- 13 70

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _

Lau ren ce El en a Ma rav il la ; Will ia m Enri qu e Cas tro -Ma rav il la

,

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Peti ti on er

s ,

v.

Je ffer so n B . Ses si on s, II I, Att or ne y Gene ral of t he Uni te d S ta te s,

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Resp on de nt

,

__ __ __ __ __ __

Pet it io n fo r Rev ie w of a n Ord er o f th e Bo ard of I m

m ig rat io n Ap pe al s

__ __ __ __ __ __

Su bm it te d: Aug us t 1 1, 2 01 7
Fi le d: Aug us t 1 6, 2 01 7 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __

Befo re COLLOTON, BOW MAN, an d B ENTON, Ci rcu it Ju dg es

.

__ __ __ __ __ __

PER CURI AM.

Sal va do ran ci ti zen s Lau ren ce Elen a Mar av il la an d h e r mi no r so n, W il li am

Enri qu e Cas tro -Ma rav il la (Will ia m ) pe ti ti on fo r rev ie w o f an or de r of th e Bo ard of

Im m ig rat io n App eal s (BIA) di sm is si ng th ei r ap pe al f r o m a n im m ig rat io n jud ge ’s
(IJ ’s) d e c i s io n. Pet it io ne rs ch al le ng e th e de ni al of Mar av il la ’s req ue st s fo r as y lu m

an d wit hh ol di ng of rem ov al

, ba se d on he r m em be rs hi p in cert ai n pa rti cu la r s o ci algr ou ps , an d th ey ch al le ng e th e IJ ’s de ni al of bo th Mar av il la ’s an d W il li am ’s req ue st s

fo r rel ie f un de r th e Co nv en ti on Aga in st Tort ur e (CAT). 1 Pet it io ne rs co nt en d (1 ) th e

ag en cy erro ne ou sl y co nc lu de d th at Mar av il la di d no t sh ow on e cen tra l reas on

m em be rs of a ga ng ta rg et ed he r fo r ex to rti on was be cau se sh e w a s t h e m ot he r of a
bo y th e ga ng m em

be rs so ug ht to recr ui t; (2 ) th e BIA en ga ge d in im pe rm is si bl e fact

fin di ng whe n it di sc us se d th e IJ ’s fin di ng s; an d (3 ) th e ag en cy di sr eg ard ed si gn ifi can t

ev id en ce whe n it co nc lu de d th at pe ti ti on ers fai le d to sh ow it was m or e li ke ly th an no t

th at a pu bl ic of

fic ia l wou ld co ns en t or acq ui es ce to th ei r to rtu re. W e de te rm in e th at

th e BIA’s di sc us si on di d no t refl ect im pe rm is si bl e fact -fi nd in g, an d we co nc lu de th at

su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce su pp or ts th e ag en cy ’s de ni al of rel ie f. Se e Fese ha ye v. Hol de r , 60 7 F .3d 52 3, 5 26 (8t h C ir. 2 01 0)

.

Fi rs t, we co nc lu de th at Mar av il la fai le d to es ta bl is h th at he r m em be rs hi p in an y
of he r pr op os ed gr ou ps was at le as t o ne cen tra l reas on fo r th e ex to rti on sh e

ex pe rie nc ed an d th e fu tu re ha rm sh e fear s. Se e Mat te r of L-E-A-

, 27 I. & N. Dec. 40

, 43 -4 6 (BIA 20 17 ) (in te rp ret in g “ on e cen tra l reas on ” te st fo r ne xu s in as y lu m ); cf

. Ca mba ra -Ca mba ra v. Lyn ch

, 83 7 F.3 d 82 2, 8 2 6 ( 8 t h Ci r. 20 16 ) (aff irming de ni al

ba se d on la ck of n e x u s be twee n ha rm an d st at us as fam il y m em be rs ). Bec au se

Mar av il la di d no t m eet he r bu rd en of pr oo f fo r as y lu m , sh e ne ces sa r i l y c o u l d n ot

sa ti sf y wit hh ol di ng of rem ov al ’s hi gh er st an da rd

. Se e Ng ug i v. Lyn ch

, 82 6 F.3 d 11 32

, 11 39 (8 th C ir. 20 16 ). Fi na ll y , as to pe ti ti on ers ’ CAT cl ai m , we ag ree th ere was

in su ffi ci en t ev id en c e th at th e go ve rn m en t wou ld to rtu re th em or acq ui es ce in an y

t o r t ur e. Se e Ca mba ra -Ca mba ra , 83 7 F.3 d at 82 6- 27

. The pe ti ti on fo r rev ie w is

de ni ed

. Se e 8t h C ir. R . 47 B.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

1 Pet it io ne rs ’ br ie f m ak es no arg um en ts reg ard in g W il li am ’s a sylum an d
wit hh ol di ng -o f rem ov al cl ai m s; th us , t h e y are ab an do ne d. Se e Ch ay -Vel as qu ez v. Ash cr of t , 36 7 F .3d 75 1, 7 56 (8t h C ir. 2 00 4)

.

-2

-