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

For the Eig hth Circu it

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No. 1 5- 10 95

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Rem be rto Agu in ad a-Lo pe z

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

v.

Lore tt a E. Ly

nc h, At to rn ey

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

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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

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Su bm it te d: Decem

be r 17 , 20 15
Fil ed : J un e 7 , 20 16

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Befo re MUR PHY, BENTON, an d KELLY, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

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BENTON, Circu it Ju dg e.

Rem be rto Agu in ad a-Lo pe z, a ci ti zen of El Sal va do r, en te red th e Uni te d St at es

il le ga ll y

. He so ug ht rel ie f fro m rem ov al by as se rti ng cl ai m s fo r as y lu m , wit hh ol di ng

of rem ov al

, an d wit hh ol di ng un de r th e Co nv en ti on Aga in st Tort ur e. The Im m igr at ionJu dg e an d Bo ard of Im m ig rat io n App eal s de ni ed each cl ai m

. Hav i n g juri sd ic ti on

un de r 8 U.S.C . § 1 25 2, t hi s co ur t d en ie s t he pe ti ti on for rev ie w. 1

Agu in ad a-Lo pe z is no t a ga ng -m em be r, bu t hi s cou si n Oscar Gil be lo ng ed to

th e MS- 13 ga ng (ri va l to th e Diec io ch o ga ng ). Agu in ad a-Lo pe z al le ge s f ou r

in ci de nt s of vi ol en ce in El Sal va do r. Fi rs t, two m en ap pr oa ch ed

, as ke d if he were in

a ga ng , an d kn oc ke d hi m un co ns ci ou s wit h a pi st ol

. The se co nd in ci de nt oc cu rred

whe n th ree m en in te rcep te d hi m , in hi s sc ho ol un ifo rm , le av in g sc ho ol (th e Nati on al

In du st ria l Tech ni cal In st it ut e). The m en be at hi m , th r e w ro ck s at hi m , bl ud ge on ed

hi m wit h st ic ks

, an d to ld hi m if he ret ur ne d to th e In st it ut e, th ey wou ld ki ll hi m

. The

th ird in ci de nt oc cu rred whe n a m an in bl ack kn oc ke d hi m of f hi s bi cy cl e, pu ll ed a

gu n, an d sa id “ You ’re th at rat Osc ar’s co us in .” W he n a car ap pr oa ch ed

, th e as sa il an t

fir ed th ree or fo ur sh ot s in th e ai r an d ran away. In th e la st in ci de nt

, two m en dr es se d

in bl ack sh ot at hi m

. Agu in ad a-Lo pe z th en wen t to st ay a t a fri en d’s ho m e, bu t

m em be rs of th e Diec io ch o ga ng th reat en ed hi s m ot he r to “ lo ok fo r hi m an y whe re,

ev eryw he re.” Sh or tl y aft er le av in g El Sal va do r, m em b e r s o f th e Diec io ch o ga ng

ki ll ed Osc ar in fro nt of Agu in ad a-Lo pe z’s h o u s e a s a “ th reat fo r [h im ] no t to

ret ur n. . . .”

The Im m ig rat io n Ju dg e fo un d Agu in ad a-Lo pe z cred ib le bu t de ni ed al l cl ai m s

fo r rel ie f

. Th e B oa rd of Im

m ig rat io n App eal s affi rm ed

. W he n th e BIA ad op ts th e
de ci s i o n o f a n IJ bu t ad ds ad di ti on al reas on in g, th is co ur t rev ie ws bo th de ci si on s.

Set ia di v. Gon za le s , 43 7 F.3 d 71 0, 71 3 (8 th Ci r. 20 06 ). Fact ua l fin di ng s are rev ie wed

fo r su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce an d no t reve rs ed un le ss “ an y reas on ab le ad jud ic at or wou ld

be co m pe ll ed to co nc lu de to th e co nt rary.” 8 U.S.C. § 12 52 (b)( 4) (B)

. Que st io ns of

la w are re vi ewed de no vo

. Set ia di , 43 7 F .3d at 7 13

.

Thi s co ur t’s pr io r op in io n of Feb ru ary 23

, 20 16 is he reb y v a c a t e d an d th is 1

op in io n su bs ti tu te d fo r it

. The pe nd in g Pet it io n fo r Pan el Reh eari ng is de ni ed as

m oo t.

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-I.

The Att or ne y Gen eral m ay no t rem ov e an al ie n to a co un try if it is de te rm in ed

“ th at th e al ie n’s li fe or free do m wou ld be th reat en ed in th a t co un try be cau se of th e

al ie n’s race , rel ig io n, na ti on al it y , m em be rs hi p in a pa rti cu la r so ci al gr ou p, or po li ti cal

op in io n.” 8 U.S.C. § 12 31 (b)( 3)

. An ap pl ic an t fo r wit hh ol di ng ba se d on m em be rs hi p

in a pa rti cu la r so ci al gr ou p m us t es ta bl is h bo th a co gn iz ab le so ci al gr ou p an d a ne xu s

be twee n th e pe rs e c u t i o n an d m em be rs hi p in th at so ci al gr ou p. Gon za le z Ca no v. Lynch , 80 9 F .3d 10 56 , 10 58 (8t h C ir. 2 01 6)

.

Agu in ad a-Lo pe z cl ai m s pe rs ecu ti on on acco un t of hi s m em be rs h i p in two

fam il y -b as ed so ci al gr ou ps : (1 ) m al e, ga ng -ag ed fam il y m em be rs of m ur de red ga ng

m em be rs , an d (2 ) m al e, ga ng -ag ed fam il y m em be rs of hi s co us in Osc ar. The

Im m ig rat io n Ju dg e fo un d th e se co nd “ do es co ns ti tu te a pa rti cu la r so ci al gr ou p un de r

th e Act.” The BIA di sa gr eed

, fin di ng th at Agu in ad a-Lo pe z’s “ ci rcu m st an ces in th is

cas e are no t m ean in gf

ul ly di st in gu is ha bl e fro m th os e in

. . . . t h e Ei gh th Ci rcu it ’s

pr eced en t de ci si on s,” an d co nc lu di ng th at bo th pr op os ed fam il y -b as ed so ci al gr ou ps

are no t vi ab l e

. Se e Ant

on io -Fue nt

es v. Ho ld

er , 76 4 F.3 d 90 2, 90 5 (8 th Ci r. 20 14 )
(rejec ti ng a fam il y -b as ed so ci al gr ou p– “ m em be r of a ho us eh ol d” in cl ud in g co us in

“ ki ll ed by a ga ng ”–

be cau se pe ti ti on er di d no t es ta bl is h ga ng s sp eci fic al ly ta rg et ed hi s

f a mi l y as a gr ou p, th us no “ di ffer en t th an an y ot he r Sal va do ran fam il y th at h a s

ex pe rie nc ed ga ng vi ol en ce”) ; Co ns ta nz a v. Ho ld er , 64 7 F.3 d 74 9, 75 4 (8 th Ci r. 20 11 )
(p er cu ria m ) ( ag reei ng wit h BIA th at “ a fam il y th at ex pe rie nc ed ga ng vi ol en ce”
(in cl ud in g har m to ne ph ew an d cou si n) la ck ed vi si bi li ty an d par ti cu la rit y , th us “ to o
br oa d to be pe rcei ve d as so ci al gr ou p[ ] by so ci et y .”). The BIA al so affi rm ed th e IJ ’s

fin di ng th at Agu in ad a-Lo pe z “ di d no t es ta bl is h a su f f i c i e n t n ex us

. . . ba se d on hi s

fear of g an gs in El Sal va do r.”

Ass um in g Agu in ad a- Lo pe z’s pr op os ed fam il y -b as ed gr ou ps are co gn iz ab le

, th is co ur t affi rm s fo r fai lu re to es ta bl is h ne xu s. Se e Ber na l-R end on v. Gon za le s , 41 9

-3

-F

. 3 d 8 7 7, 88 1 (8 th Ci r. 20 05 ) (rec og ni zi ng th at “ a nu cl ear fam il y can co ns ti tu te a

so ci al gr ou p” an d th at th e “ pr ot ot y pe ” an d pl ai ne st ex am

pl e of a so ci al gr ou p is “ th e

im m ed ia te m em

be rs of a cert ai n fa m il y ,” bu t ag reei ng wit h th e BIA tha t pet it io ne rs

fai le d to pr ov e a cl ear pr ob ab il it y of a sp eci fic th reat to th ei r fam il y as a so ci al gr ou p (n ot in g “ ex te nd ed fam il y ” st il l li vi ng wit ho ut in ci de nt in Co l o mbia n ci ti es )). Onl y
th e th ird in ci de nt is di rect ly ti ed to hi s rel at io ns hi p to Osc ar Gil

. Thi s si ng le fact do es

no t co m pe l th e co nc lu si on th at Agu in ad a-Lo pe z es ta bl is he d n ex us

. Se e § 12 52 (b)( 4) (B)

. The BIA di d n o t err in de nyin g wit hh ol di ng on th e ba si s of th e

fam il y -b as ed pa rti cu la r so ci al gro up s.

Agu in ad a-Lo pe z al so cl ai m s pe rs ecu ti on be cau se of hi s m em be rs hi p in a th ird

so ci al gr ou p “ m al e, ga ng -ag ed m em be rs of th e In st it ut e.” He ci te s ex te ns iv e ev id en ce

su gg es ti ng th at st ud en ts at th e In st it ut e are vi ct im iz ed by ga ng s. Alt ho ug h th is m ay
be su ffi ci en t to es ta bl is h a co gn iz ab le so ci al gr ou p, Agu in ad a-Lo pe z la ck s ev id en ce

to pr ov e n e x u s

. Th e I J fo un d th at th e fir st , t hi rd , a nd fo ur th vi ol en t in ci de nt s were

m ot iv at ed by g an g- recr ui tm en t, ga ng -m em be rs hi p, or hi s re la ti on sh ip to Osca r Gil

. Att en da nc e at th e In st it ut e m ay ha ve m ot iv at ed t h e se co nd at ta ck (wh en he was
weari ng hi s sc ho ol un ifo rm ), bu t th is si ng le en co un te r do es no t, by it se lf, ris e to th e

le ve l of pa st pe rs ecu ti on

. Se e Eus eb io v. As hc r o f t

, 36 1 F.3 d 10 88

, 10 91 (8 th Ci r.

20 04 ).

The BIA di d n ot err in de nyin g Agu in ad a-Lo pe z’s cl ai m fo r wit hh ol di ng of

rem ov al

.

II.

To qu al ify fo r rel ie f un de r th e Co nv en ti on Aga in st Tort ur e, an al ie n m us t sh ow

“ it is m or e li ke ly th an no t th at he or sh e wou ld be to rtu red if rem ov ed to th e pr op os ed

co un try of rem ov al .” 8 C.F.R. § 12 08 .16 (c)( 2)

. The to rtu re m us t be in fli ct ed “ by or

at th e in st ig at io n of or with th e co ns en t or acqu ie sc en ce of a pu bl ic of fic ia l or oth er

-4

-pe rs on act in g in an of fic ia l cap aci ty.” § 12 08 .18 (a )

. “Acq ui es cen ce” req ui res th at

th e pu bl ic of

fic ia l be aware of th e act iv it y an d “ th erea f t e r b r each hi s or he r le ga l

res po ns ib il it y

to in te rv en e to pre ve nt su ch act iv it y .” Id

.

T o show ac qui es ce nc e, Agu in ad a-Lo pe z rel ie s on co un try-con di ti on s ev id en ce
id en ti fy in g in st an ces of po li ce-c or ru pt io n. Howev er, th es e sa m e do cu m en ts al so
id en ti fy go ve rn m en t effo rts to en d ga ng vi ol en ce, in cl ud in g a st im ul us pr o gr am to

reh ab il it at e ga ng m em

be rs , a U

. S.-fu nd ed wire ta p cen te r, an d an el it e an ti -g an g po li ce

un it

. Cert ai nl y , El Sal va do r ha s st ru gg le d to pr ot ect ag ai ns t ga ng vi ol en ce, bu t it ha s

no t acq ui es ced to ga ng vi ol en ce. Se e So li s v. Muk as ey , 51 5 F.3 d 83 2, 83 6 (8 th Ci r.

20 08 ) (“ Alt ho ug h th e go ve rn m en t of El Sal va do r m ay st ru gg le to co nt r o l vi ol en ce,

th ere is no ev id en ce in th e reco rd th at go ve rn m en t ag en ts pa rti ci pa te or acq ui es ce in

po ss ib le to rtu re perp et rat ed by ot he rs .”); Mo ua wa d v. Gon za le s , 48 5 F.3d 40 5, 41 3
(8 th Ci r. 20 07 ) (“ A go ve rn m en t do es no t acq ui es ce in th e to rtu re of it s ci ti zen s m erel y
be cau se it is aw a r e o f to rtu re bu t po werl es s to st op it

. . . .” (in te rn al qu ot at io ns an d

ci ta ti on om it te d) ).

The BIA d id no t er r in reject in g t he CAT cla im

. 2

* * * * * * *

The pe ti ti on for rev ie w is de ni ed

.

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Agu in ad a-Lo pe z al so so ug ht as y lu m

. The IJ an d BIA fo un d th e cl ai m to be 2

ti m e-b arre d, an d h e d oe s n ot ap pe al th at de ci si on

.

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