N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
M IGUEL ANGEL VALVERDEM AR TINEZ,

Pe t i tione r,
v. M ERR IC K B
. GARLAND, Attorne y Ge ne ra l, R e sponde nt. No. 20-72058 Age n c y No. A099-630-178
M EM O R ANDUM *

On Pe tition for Re vie w of a n Orde r of the B oa rd of Im m igration Appe a ls Subm itte d

Nove m b e r 17, 2021 ** San Fran c isc o , C a lifornia B e fore : SC HR OEDER , W . FLETC HER , a nd M ILLER , C irc uit Judge s. Pe titione r M i gue l Va lve rde -M artine z pe titions for re vie w of the de nia l of his
m otion to re c onside r the de nia l of his m otion to re ope n a n d re insta t e his a ppe a l be fore the B oa

rd of Im m igration Appe a ls. The im m igration judgeorigina lly 

# FIL ED NOV 24 2021 M OLLY C. DW Y E R, CLERK U. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public at ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by Ninth C irc uit R

ule 36-3.

* * The pa

ne l una nim ously c onc lude s this c a se is suita ble for de c ision without ora l a

rgum e nt. Se e Fe d. R . App. P. 34(a )(2).de nie d Va lve rde -M a rtine z ’ s re q

ue st for withholding of re m ova l a n d C onve ntion Aga inst Torture(C A T) prote c tion on a num be r of grounds, inc luding (1) fa i lure to
e sta blish m e m

be rship in a

pa rtic ula r soc ia l group tha

t e ithe r wa s le ga lly

c ogniz a ble or bore a ne xus to a

ny ha rm tha t he suffe re d or fe ars, (2) fa ilure to e sa blish tha t the gove rnm e nt of M e xic o wa s or would beuna ble or unwilling to c ontrol his alle ge d pe rse c utors, (3) fa i lure to e sta blish pa s t ha

rm rising to the

le ve l of pe rse c ution, a

nd (4) the re a sona

ble ne ss of e xpe c ting him

to re l oc ate within M e xic o to a void the ha rm tha t he fe ars. Va lve rde -M artine z file d a notic e of a

ppe a l from

tha t de c i sion but faile d to file a brie f with theB oa

rd of Im m igration Appe a ls. The B oa rd sum m arily dism isse d the a

ppe a l. Se e 8 C .F.R . § 1003.1(d)(2)(i)(A) (a llowing for sum m ary dism issa l if a

pa rty fa ils to spe c ify

the re a sons for thea

ppe a l ). Va lve rde -M artine z the n file d a m otion to re o pe n his a

ppe a l ba se d on ine ffe c tive a ssista nc e of c o unse l. The B oa rd de nie d tha

t m otion to re ope n be c a

use it fa ile d to show tha

t Va lve rde
M artine zha d a

pla usible ground for withholding of re m ova l or C A T prote c t ion. Se e Martine

z-He rnande

z v . Holde r , 778 F.3d 1086, 1088 (9th C i r. 2015). Va lve rde -M artine z the n file d a m otion to re c onside r the B oa rd’ s de n ia l of his
m otion to re o pe n , but the B oa rd de nie d re c onside ra tion be c a use the m otion la

rge l y re pe ate d the c la im s m a de in the m otion to re ope n and fa ile d

to ide n tify

any a lle ge d
2le ga l or fa c tua l e rrors, a c h a nge in la w, or a n a spe c t of the c a se tha

t wa s ove rlooke d in the m otion to re ope n or in theunde rly ing de c ision of theim m igration judge
. W e re vie w for an a

buse of disc re t ion a

nd a ffirm
. Se e Vale riano v
. Gonzale s , 474 F.3d 669, 672 (9th C ir. 2007). TheB oa rd a c t e d within its disc

re t ion in de ny ing Va lve rde -M artine z ’ s m otion to re c onside r its prior de c ision de ny ing his
m otion to re o pe n . Va lve rde -M artine z fa ile d to ide ntify any “ e rrors of la

wor fa c t in” t he B oa rd’ s de nia l of his m otion to re ope n . 8 U.S.C . § 1229a (c )(6)(C ). To
e sta blish ine ffe c tive a ssista

n c e of c ounse l, Va lve rde -M artine z wa s re quire d to show not only

tha t his c o unse l’ s pe rform anc e in fa iling to file an a ppe lla te brie f
wa s de fic ie nt, but tha

t the fa ilure m ay

have a ffe c t e d the outc om e . Se e MartinezHe rnande z , 778 F.3d a

t 1088; Flore

s v . Barr , 930 F.3d 1082, 1087 (9th C ir. 2019). Va lve rde -M artine z ne ve r e xpla ine d how a n a ppe a l c ould ha

ve produc e d a diffe re nt
re sult. The pe tition for re vie w is DE N IE D
.

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