T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he pane l unani m ous l yc onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l ar g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2). NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T S AU L AN T ON I O P E R E Z QU E VE DO , P et i t i on er , v. E R I C H . H O L D E R , J r ., A tto rn e yG e n e r a l, R e s p o n d e n t. N o. 10- 70391 A ge nc yN o. A 073- 420- 966 ME MOR AN DU M *

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the B o ar do f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls S ubm i tt e d Jul y17, 2012 ** B efo re: S C H R O E D E R , T H O M A S , an dS IL V E R M A N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. S aul A nt oni o P e r e z Q ue ve do, ana t i ve and c i t i z e n of G ua t e m a l a , pe t i t i ons f o rr e v ie w o f

th e B o ar do f

I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls ’ ( “B I A ” ) o r d e rd is m is s in g h is ap p e a l f r o m an i mmi g r a t i o n j u d g e ’ s d e c i s i o n d e n y i n g h i s ap p l i c a t i o n f o ra s y l u m, w ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l, an dr e lie f

u n d e rth e C o n v e n tio n A g a in s t T o rtu r e ( “C A T ” ) .



# FI LED JU L 24 2012 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS10- 70391 2 O ur j uri sdi ct i on i s gov erned b y 8 U . S . C . § 1 25 2. W e r evi ew for s ub st ant i al e v id e n c e th e a g e n c y ’s f a c tu a l f in d in g s , Zehat

ye v. G on zales , 453 F . 3d 1182, 1184- 8 5 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 6 ) , an dw e r e v ie w d e n o v o du e p r o c e s s c la im s , Si m eono v v . A s h c r o ft , 37 1 F . 3d 53 2, 53 5 (9th C i r. 20 04 ). W e deny i n p artand d i sm i ss i n p art th e p e t i t i o n f

o rr e v i e w. P e r e z Q ue ve do c ont e nds he w a s harm e d bythe c i vi l pa tr ol i n G ua t e m a l adue t o h i s pol i t i ca l neutra l i ty. S ub st ant i alevi dence s up po rt s the agency’ s f i nd i ng that P er ez Q uevedo fa i l ed t o est abl i sh pastpers ec ut i on or a w el l -f ou nd ed fe arof future p e r s e c u tio n . Se e I

N S v . E l i as - Zac ar i as , 5 0 2 U .S . 4 7 8 , 4 8 1 n . 1 ( 1 9 9 2 ) ; see a l so Sa n gh a v . I

NS , 103 F . 3d 1482, 1488 ( 9th C i r . 1997) ( “ [ A n] appl i c antm us tnot m er el y avo w hi s pol i t i ca l neutra l i ty . . . bu tm ustal so show thatthi s opi ni on w as art i cul at ed suff

i ci ent l y f or i tt o b e the basi s of hi s pas tor ant i cipat ed pers ec ut i on . ”) ( c ita tio n an dq u o ta tio n o m itte d ) . A c c o r d in g ly , P e r e z Q u e v e d o ’s a s y lu m c la im f a i l s . I n the abs e nc e of

pa s tpe r s e c ut i on, P e r e z Q ue ve do’ s hum ani t ar i an a s y l um c la im n e c e s s ar ilyf

a ils . See 8 C . F . R . § 1 20 8. 13 (b)( 1)(i i i ). M or e ove r , be c aus e P e r e z Q ue ve do f a i l e d t o s a t i s f

ythe l ow e rbur de n of p r o o f f o ra s y lu m , it f

o llo w s th a t h e h a s n o t m e t th e h ig h e rc le arp r o b ab ility s tan d ar df

o rw ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l. See Zehat

ye , 453 F . 3d a t1190.10- 70391 3 F u rth er , sub stan ti al ev id en ce su p p o rts th e B IA ’s d en ial o f P er ez Q u ev ed o ’s C A T c l a i m be c aus e he di d note s t abl i s h i ti s m or e l i ke l ythan nothe w i l l be to rtu r e dif

r e tu rn e dto G u a te m a la . See Zhengv. H older , 6 4 4 F .3 d8 2 9 , 8 3 5 - 3 6 ( 9 th C i r. 20 11 ). I n a ddi t i on, w e r e

j e c tP e r e z Q ue ve do’ s ar gum e nttha tthe B I A di d not p r o v id e ac ar e f

u l r e v ie w o f

th e r e c o r d . Se e La ta v . I NS , 2 0 4 F .3 d1 2 4 1 , 1 2 4 6 ( 9 th C i r. 20 00 ) ( re qu i ri ng error f or a pet i t i on ert o p re vai l on a due process cl ai m ). B e c au s e P e r e z Qu e v e d o ’ s c a s e wa s i n i t i a l l yh e ar db yan a s y l u m o f f i c e r , we r e j e c tthe ar gum e nthe r a i s e s unde rthe T r a f f i c ki ng V i c t i m s P r ot e c t i on R e au th o r iz a tio n A c t. See 8 U . S . C . § 1 15 8(b)(3)(C). F i na l l y , w e l a c k j ur i s di c t i on ove ranyc ha l l e nge t o the I J ’ s de ni a l of am ot i on to c o n tin u e b e c au s e P e r e z Q u e v e d o d idn o t r a is e th is is s u e to th e B I A . Se e B arr on v . A s h c r o ft , 35 8 F . 3d 67 4, 67 8 (9th C i r. 20 04 ). P E T IT IO N F O R R E V IE W D E N IE D i n p art; D IS M IS S E D i n p art.