# 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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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ Jo rg e Est ua rd o S an ch ez-S ot o

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 Un it ed Sta 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 3 1, 2 01 7 Fi le d: Octo be r 11 , 20 17 [Un pu bl is he d]

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

.

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PER CURI AM.

Gua te m al an ci ti zen Jo rg e Est u a r d o S an ch ez-S ot o pe ti ti on s fo r rev ie w of an

or de r of th e 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 an im m ig rat io n jud ge (IJ ), whi ch de ni ed hi m wit h h ol di ng of rem ov al an d rel ie fun de r th e Co nv en ti on Agai ns t To rtu re (C AT). 1 Havi ng 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

.

San ch ez-S ot o so ug ht im m ig rat i o n rel ie f ba se d on hi s m em be rs hi p in two pa rti cu la r so ci al gr ou ps : (1 ) Gua te m al an s who se fam il ie s ha ve be en ta rg e t e d f o r at ta ck s by ga ng s an d co nt in ue to rece iv e th reat s, an d (2 ) ret ur ne es fro m th e Uni te d St at es who are pe rcei ve d to be weal th y

. In co nc lu di ng th at he was i n e l i g i b le fo r

w i th ho ld in g of rem ov al , th e IJ fo un d th at he fai le d to de m on st rat e pa st or f u t u r e pe rs ecu ti on ba se d on hi s m em be rs hi p in a co gn iz ab le so ci al gr ou p. San c h e z-So to of fere d no ev id en ce sh owi ng hi s pr op os ed gr ou ps w e r e v ie wed as so ci al ly di st in ct wit hi n Gua te m al an so ci et y , an d fai le d to di st in gu is h th em f r o m g r o u ps pr ev io us ly he ld no t co gn iz ab le

. Se e Ng ug i v. Lyn ch , 82 6 F.3 d 11 32 , 11 37 -3 9 (8 th C i r

. 2 01 6) ( w h e t h e r gr ou p is pa rti cu la r so ci al gr ou p is qu es ti on of la w r ev ie wed de no vo ); De Ca st ro -Gu ti er re

z v. Hol de r , 71 3 F.3 d 37 5, 38 0 (8 th Ci r. 20 13 ) (s oc ia l gr ou p m us t no t be de fin ed jus t by fact it s m em be rs ha ve be en ta rg et ed fo r pe rs ecu ti o n ); Mat ul

Her na nd ez v. Hol de r , 68 5 F.3 d 70 7, 71 1- 13 (8 th Ci r. 20 12 ) (Gu at em al an s ret ur ni ng fro m Uni te d St at e s a n d p e rcei ve d as weal th y is no t pa rti cu la r so ci al gr ou p)

. Su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce su pp or ts th e ag en cy ’s fact ua l de te rm in at io ns , an d th ere was no

erro r of law. Se e Dav il a- Mej ia v. Muk as ey , 53 1 F.3d 62 4, 62 7, 62 9 (8 th Cir . 20 08 ) (s ta nd ard of r ev ie w and wit hh ol di ng req ui rem en ts ).

As to San ch ez-S ot o’s CAT cl ai m , hi s evi de nc e di d n ot sh ow i t i s m or e li ke ly th an no t t ha t h e wou ld be to rtu red if re m ov ed to hi s h om e co un try. Se e De Ca st ro

Gut ie rr ez , 71 3 F .3d at 3 81 -8 2 (s ta nd ard for CAT rel ie f).

The pe ti ti on is de ni ed

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

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1 The IJ ’s de ni al of as y lu m is no t be fo re th e pa ne l. Se e C h a y

- Vela sq ue

z v. Ash cr of t , 36 7 F .3d 75 1, 7 56 (8t h C ir. 2 00 4)

. -2

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