# 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 7- 10 61

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ Pab lo Ajqu i De La Cr uz

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

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

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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: Sep te m

be r 20 , 20 17 Fi le d: Sep te m

be r 29 , 20 17 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re GRUENDER, BENTON, and KELLY , Cir cu it Ju dg es

.

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PER CURI AM.Gua te m al an ci ti zen Pab lo Ajqu i De La Cru z pe ti ti on s fo r rev ie w of an or de r of

t he Bo ard of Im

m ig rat io n App eal s di sm is si ng hi s ap pe al fro m th e de ci si on of a n im m ig rat io n ju dg e (IJ ), whi ch de ni ed hi m asylu m an d wi th ho ld in g o f rem ov al

. 1

To qu al ify fo r as y lu m , Ajqu i De La Cru z was req ui r e d t o s ho w th at he was

un ab le or un wil li ng to ret ur n to Gua te m al a du e to pe rs ecu ti on or a well -fo un de d fear of pe rs ecu ti on , on acco un t of race , rel ig io n, na ti on al it y , po li ti cal op in io n, or memb e rs hi p in a pa rti cu la r so ci al gr ou p. See Gut ie rrez -Vid al v. Hol de r, 70 9 F

. 3 d
72 8, 73 2 (8 th Ci r. 20 13 ). In te st im on y fo un d cred ib le b y t h e IJ
, Ajqu i De La Cru z de sc rib ed ho w he an d hi s fat he r-i n- la w were at ta ck ed in 20 00 by un kn own , m as ke d in di vi du al s who m he be li ev ed m ay ha ve be en m ot iv at ed by h i s fo rm er as so ci at io n wit h gu eri ll as

. The ag en cy de te rm in ed he ha d no t es ta bl is he d pe rs ecu ti on as req ui red fo r as y lu m rel ie f, fin di ng , in te r al ia
, th at he fai le d to sh ow th e go ve rn m en t was un ab le

or un wil li ng to co nt ro l th e pr iv at e in di vi du al s who at ta ck ed hi m an d hi s fat he r-i n- la w in 20 00
, or an y in di vi du al s he fear s m ig ht se ek hi m if he ret ur ne d. Ajqu i De La Cru z ha s no t pr es en te d an y m ean in gf ul arg um en t th at th is fin di ng was erro ne ou s; th us , we

co nc lu de th at he ha s waiv ed th is is su e. See Ch ay -Vel as qu ez, 36 7 F.3 d at 75 6 (wai ve r of is s u e s )

. Bec au se Ajqu i De La Cru z’s fai lu re to m ak e th is sh owi ng was fat al to bo th hi s as y lu m cl ai m

an d h is wit hh ol di ng -o f-re m ov al cla im , we nee d no t co ns id er th e arg um en ts he rai se s on ap pe al

. See Gut ie rrez -Vid al
, 70 9 F.3 d at 73 2 (to es ta bl is h

pa st pe rs ecu ti on or a well -fo un de d fear of fu tu re pe rs ecu ti on , as y lu m ap pl ic an t m us t sh ow t ha t t he go ve rn m en t co nd on ed as sa ul ts , or was un ab le or u nwi ll in g t o c on tro l th e pr iv at e act or s who co m m it te d t h e m); se e al so Edi on se ri v. Ses si on s, 86 0 F.3 d
11 01
, 1 1 0 5 ( 8 t h Ci r. 20 17 ) (s ta nd ard fo r wit hh ol di ng of rem ov al al so req ui res sh owi ng th at th e go ve rn m en t, or pr iv at e pa rti es th e go ve rn m en t is un ab le or un wil li ng

The IJ ’s de ni al of rel ie f un de r th e Co nv en ti on Aga in st Terro r is no t be fo re th is 1

co ur t. See Ch ay -Vel as qu ez v. Ash cro ft, 36 7 F.3 d 75 1, 75 6 (8 th Ci r. 20 04 ) (p et it io ne r waiv es cla im

by fail in g t o ra is e it in op en in g b rie f).

-2

-to co nt ro l, in fli ct ed or wil l in fli ct ha rm ). Acco rd in gl y , th e pe ti ti on is de ni ed

. See 8t h

Ci r. R. 47 B.

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