N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT SALANO SALOM ON-C AB ALLER O,

Pe t i tione r,
v. M ERR IC K B
. GARLAND, Attorne y Ge ne ra l, R e sponde nt. No. 19-71216 Age n c y No. A201-028-153
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 M arc h 3, 2021 ** Pa sa de n a , C a l ifornia B e fore : GR

AB E R , M ILLER , and LEE, C irc uit Judge s. Pe titione r Sa la

n o Sa lom on-C a

ba lle ro, a native and c itiz e n of M e xic o, se e ks
re vie w of the im

m igration judge ’ s (IJ) a dve rse de te rm ination following a 

# FIL ED MAR 12 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).re a s ona

ble fe ar inte rvie w. W e have jurisdic tion unde r 8 U.S.C . § 1252(a )(1). 1 R e vie wing for substa

ntia l e v i de nc e , tha

t is, whe the r " any

re a sona ble a d judic ator would be c om

pe lle d to c onc lude to the c ontra ry , " Andra de -Garc ia

v. Ly n c h , 828 F.3d 829, 833 (9th C ir. 2016) (inte rna l quota tion m arks om itte d), we de ny the pe tition. 1. The IJ found " i nsuffic ie nt ne xus." He re a sona bly c o uld c o nc lude tha

t a group of m a ske d, a

rm e d m e n ta

rge te d Pe titione r and his fa m ily be c a use the y
wante d to ta

k e profit from fe rtile la

nd, rathe r tha

n to pe rse c ute the m

on a c c ount of
m e m b e rship in the

propose d soc ia l group of m a le M e xic a n la ndowne rs.

" [L] a ndowne rship m ay

be the ba sis of a

pa rtic ula r soc ia l group." C ordoba v. Holde r, 726 F.3d 1106, 1114 (9th C ir. 2013). B ut m e re l y owning la nd a n d be ing thre ate ne d is insuffic ie n t; one m ust show tha

t a pe rse c utor’ s de sire to ha rm a pa rtic u la r soc ia l group wa s at le a st " a re a son" for the pe rse c ution. Se e B ara ja s-R om e ro v. Ly

nc h, 846 F.3d 351, 360 (9th C ir. 2017) (holding tha t a n
a pplic ant for withholding of re m ova l m ust show tha

t a prote c te d ground wa s " a
re a s on" for his pe rse c ution). Ge ne ra lly spe ak ing, a

n a pplic a nt’ s " d e sire to be fre e

1 The pe tition is not m

oot following Pe t itione r’ s re m ova l to M e x ic o, be c a use granting thepe tition would " at le a st inc re a se [Pe t itione r’ s] c ha nc e s of be ing a llowe d" to re turn to theUnite d State s . De l C id M arroquin v. Ly nc h, 823 F.3d 933, 936 (9th C ir. 2016) (pe r c uriam ). 2from

ha ra ssm e n t by

c rim ina ls m otiva

te d by the ft . . . be ars no ne xus to a prote c te d ground." Ze tino v. Holder, 622 F.3d 1007, 1016 (9th C ir. 2010). On this re c ord, we are not c om p e l le d to disa gre e with theIJ’ s c onc lusion that Pe titione r’ s atta c ke rs we re m otiva te d by pe c unia ry ga in, ra the r tha n by hostility to m a le M e xic an la

ndowne rs. Pe titione r, for insta nc e , sugge ste d

tha t the
m e n m ay have c o v e te d his good c rops, his shops, or e ve n his c ar. 2. To the e xte nt tha

t Pe t itione r se e ks re vie w of the IJ’ s de nia l of prote c tion unde r the C onve n tion Aga inst Torture , he forfe i te d tha t a rgum e n t. Se e Tija

ni v. Holde r, 628 F.3d 1071, 1080 (9th C ir. 2010) (holding tha t this c ourt " ge ne ra lly

will not ta ke up a rgum e n ts not ra ise d in a

n a l ie n’ s ope ning brie f be fore this c ourt" ). PE T IT IO N DE NIE D.

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