FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC UIT MARCH 31, 2008 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H]

I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 07- 13363 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ B I A N os . A 98- 552- 596 & A 98- 552- 597 J A V I E R Y A M I T Z A P A T A , P A M E L A F I G U E R O A , P e titio n e r s , v ersu s U .S . A T T O RN E Y G E N E R A L , R e s p o n d e n t.

________________________ P e t i t i on f orR e vi e w of

aD e c i s i on of

the B o a r d o f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls

_________________________ ( M ar c h 31, 2008) B efo re B IR C H , W IL S O N an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: J a vi e rY a m i tZ apa t aa nd hi s w i f e , P a m e l aF i gue r oa , pr oc e e di ng p ro se , se ekZ apata also applied for

relief under theUnited Nations Convention Ag ainst Torture a nd 1 Other Crue l, Inhumane, or DegradingTreatment or Punishment (“CAT”). B eca use he did not exhaust his admini strative remedies re g ardingthat claim af ter the IJdenied it, we lack jurisdiction to consider it. See A maya- Artunduaga v. U.S. Att’y Gen. , 4 63 F .3 d 1 24 7, 12 50(1 1th Cir . 2 00 6)(p er curiam) . A lternativ e ly, w ede c lin eto c on sider t heCA T re lie f c laim b e c a us e Z apata abandone d it after f

ailing to raise the issue in his brief on appeal. See Se

pulveda v. U.S. Att’y Gen. , 401 F.3d 1226, 1228 n.2 ( 11th Cir. 2005) (per curiam). To the extent that Figueroa asser ted any derivative claim to Z apata ’s withholding of 2 removal claim, that must automatically fail bec ause “thereareno derivative benef its associated with a grant of withholding of removal.” Delgado v. U .S. Att’y Gen. , 4 87 F .3 d 8 55 , 8 62 (1 1th Cir. 2007) (per

curiam). 2 r e vi e w of

the B oa r d of

I m m i gr a t i on A ppe a l s ’ s ( “ B I A ” ) de c i s i on a dopt i ng a nd a f f i rm i ng the I m m i gr a t i on J udge ’ s ( “ I J ” ) or de rde ny i ng Z apa t a ’ s appl i c a t i on f or as ylu m an d w ith h o ld in g o f r em o v al. F ig u er o a’s c laim w as d er iv ativ e to Z ap ata’s 1 a s y lu m c la im . O n ap p e a l, Z ap a tab r ie f lys ta te s th a t th e I Je rr e d in f in d in g h im 2 in e lig ib le f

o ra s y lu m . I n a d d itio n , Z ap a taa r g u e s th a t th e I Je rr e d in d e n y in g h im w i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l ba s e d on i t s f

i ndi ng tha the f

a i l e d t o e s t abl i s h ane xus b e tw e e n h is f

e a ro f f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n in h is h o m e c o u n try , C o lo m b ia , a n d h is pol i t i c a l opi ni on orm e m be r s hi p i n as oc i a l gr oup. I.

“ W e r evi ew ou r s ubj ec tm att erj uri sdi ct i on de no vo . ” A m aya-A rtun du ag a v. U . S. A t t ’ yG e n. , 4 6 3 F . 3 d 1 2 4 7 , 1 2 5 0 ( 1 1 th C i r . 2 0 0 6 ) ( p e rc u r i a m ) . An appl i c a t i on f

ora s y l um m us tbe f

i l e d w i thi n one y e a rof

a n a l i e n’ s a rr i va l i n the U ni t ed S t at es , un l es s the al i en can d em on stra t e c hang ed or extra ordi nary c i r c um s t a nc e s r e l a t i ng t o the de l a yi n f i l i ng the a s y l um appl i c a t i on. I m m i gr a t i on3

and N at i on al i ty A ct(“ IN A ”) § 2 08 (a )( 2), 8 U . S . C . § 1 15 8(a) (2). W e l ac k j uri sdi ct i on t o revi ew the IJ ’ s det erm i nat i on thatan as yl um appl i cantfi l ed an un t i m el y app l i ca t i on and fai l ed t o est abl i sh changed o r e xtra ordi nary c ir c u m s ta n c e s to e x c u s e h is u n tim e lyf ilin g . Chac on- B ote r o v . U . S. A t t ’ yG e n. , 4 2 7 F. 3 d 9 5 4 , 9 5 7 ( 1 1 th Ci r . 2 0 0 5 ) ( p e rc u r i a m) ( c i t i n g I N A § 2 0 8 ( a ) ( 3 ) , 8 U . S. C. § 1 15 8(a) (3)) . T he I Jf ound tha tZ apa t a ’ s a s y l um appl i c a t i on w a s unt i m e l ya nd tha tno exce pt i on s e xcused the un t i m el i ness , thu s w e l ac k j uri sdi ct i on t o revi ew i t s deni al of Z apa t a ’ s a s y l um appl i c a t i on on appe a l . A c c or di ngl y , w e di s m i s s the pe t i t i on r e g a r d i n g Zap a t a ’ s a s y l u m c l a i m, a n d Fi g u e r o a ’ s d e r i v a t i v e c l a i m. II. W h e n th e B I A e x p r e s s lya d o p ts a n d a f f irm s th e I J ’s o p in io n , a s it d id in th is in s ta n c e , w e o n lyr e v ie w th e I J ’s d e c is io n . A l N a jja rv . A s h c r o

ft , 257 F . 3d 1262, 1 2 8 4 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 1 ) . T h e I J ’s f

a c tu a l f in d in g s a r e r e v ie w e du n d e rth e s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e te s t, a nd w e m us ta f

f i rm the I J ’ s de c i s i on ba s e d on thos e f i ndi ngs “ i f

i ti s s upport e d by reaso n ab l e, su b st an t i al , an d p ro b at i v e ev i d en ce o n th e reco rd co n si d ered as a w ho l e. ” Si lv a v . U

. S. A t t ’ yG e n. , 44 8 F . 3d 12 29 , 12 36 (11th C i r. 20 06 ) ( i nt ernal quot a t i on m a rks om i tt e d) . U nde rthi s hi ghl yde f e r e nt i a l t e s t , w e m a ynotr e w e i gh th e ev i d en ce, an d a factu al fi n d i n g m ay o n l y b e rev ersed i f th e reco rd co m p el s a4

r e v e r s a l. I

d. T o qua l i f y f orw i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l unde rthe I N A , a n a l i e n m us ts how tha thi s l i f

e orf r e e dom w oul d be thr e a t e ne d, i n the c ountryt o w hi c h he w oul d be re m ov ed, on ac coun tof ra ce , re l i gi on , nat i on al i ty, m em bers hi p i n a part i cul ar soci al grou p, or po l i t i ca l op i ni on . IN A § 2 41 (b)( 3), 8 U . S . C . § 1 23 1(b)(3). U nd er thi s s t a nda r d, a n a l i e n m us tpr ove tha ti ti s “ m or e l i ke l ytha n not ” tha the w i l l be p e r s e c u te d u p o n r e tu rn in g to h is c o u n try . T an v . U . S. A t t ’ yG e n. , 446 F . 3d 1369, 1 3 7 5 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 6 ) . T h e s ta tu te p r o te c ts a g a in s t p e r s e c u tio n b yb o th gove rnm e ntf

or c e s a nd non- gove rnm e nt a l gr oups tha tthe gove rnm e ntc a nnot c o n tr o l. Sanc hezv . U

. S. A t t ’ yG e n. , 39 2 F . 3d 43 4, 43 7 (11 th C i r. 20 04 ) ( per c u r ia m ) . A n ap p lic a n t f

o rw ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l m a ys a tis f

yh is b u r d e n o f

p r o o f in o n e o f tw o w ays. 8 C . F . R . § 2 0 8 . 1 6 (b ). F i rst , an al i en m ay est ab l i sh p ast pe r s e c ut i on ba s e d on apr ot e c t e d gr ound, w hi c h c r e a t e s ar e butt abl e pr e s um pt i on th a t h is lif

e o rf r e e d o m w o u ld b e th r e a te n e d u p o n r e tu rn to h is c o u n try . See Sa nchez , 392 F . 3d a t438. T he gove rnm e ntm a yr e buttha tpr e s um pt i on by s how i ng, by apr e ponde r a nc e of e vi de nc e , tha tthe appl i c a nt ’ s l i f e orf r e e dom w ou l d n otbe threa t ened because (1) afund am ent al change i n ci rc um st ance s occurre d, or (2) the appl i cantcoul d rel ocat e w i thi n the coun tryt o avo i d the future th r e a t. I d. S e c o n d , a n a lie n m a y s h o w th a t it is m o r e lik e lyth a n n o t th a t h e w o u ld5

b e p ersecu t ed o n acco u n to f a p ro t ect ed g ro u n d u p o n rem o v al t o h i s co u n try, u n le s s r e lo c a tio n w ith in th e c o u n tryw o u ld a v o id th e th r e a t a n d r e lo c a tio n w o u ld be re as on abl e t o exp ec t . 8 C . F . R . § 2 08 . 16 (b)( 2). U nde re i the rm e thod of s a t i s f y i ng the bur de n of

pr oof f orw i thhol di ng of re m ov al , the appl i cantm ustes t abl i sh a nexus betw ee n the pastor future p ersecu t i o n an d o n e o f th e fi v e p ro t ect ed g ro u n d s: race, rel i g i o n , n at i o n al i ty, m e m b e r s h ip in ap a rtic u la rs o c ia l g r o u p , o rp o litic a l o p in io n . See 8 C. F. R. § 2 08 . 16 (b). T he appl i ca t i on m ustshow thatthe pers ec ut i on w as m ot i vat ed, at le a s t in p a rt, b y ap r o te c te d g r o u n d . T an , 446 F . 3d a t1375 ( not i ng tha tthe prot ec t ed grou nd need no tbe the sol e bas i s f or the pers ec ut i on ). A n i m pu t ed p o litic a l o p in io n o rs o c ia l g r o u p m e m b e r s h ip , w h e th e rc o rr e c tlyo rw r o n g ly a ttr ib u te d , m a y c o n s titu te ab a s is f o rs a tis f y in g th e n e x u s te s t. Se e A l N aj j ar , 257 F . 3d a t1289. T he nexu s t es tre fe rs t o p er se cut i on on ac coun tof the vi ct i m ’ s pol i t i ca l o p in io n o rs o c ia l g r o u p m e m b e r s h ip , r a th e rth a n th e p e r s e c u to r ’s . See I . N . S. v. E l i as - Zac ar i as , 5 0 2 U .S . 4 7 8 , 4 8 2 , 1 1 2 S . C t. 8 1 2 , 8 1 6 , 1 1 7 L . E d . 2 d 3 8 ( 1 9 9 2 ) . A l s o, c r i m i na l a c t i vi ty a nd a c t s of pr i va t e vi ol e nc e a nd pe r s ona l r e tr i but i on do not c o n s titu te e v id e n c e o f

p e r s e c u tio n o n a c c o u n t o f as ta tu to r ilyp r o te c te d g r o u n d . Sa nchez , 392 F . 3d a t438. S ub st ant i al evi dence s up po rt ed the IJ ’ s deni al of w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al6

ba s e d on i t s f

i ndi ng tha tZ apa t a ’ s pa s tpe r s e c ut i on, orf e a rof f utur e pe r s e c ut i on, w a s n o t o n a c c o u n t o f

ap r o te c te d g r o u n d . T h e r e c o r d s u p p o rts th e I J ’s f in d in g s in thi s r e ga r d be c aus e i ts how s tha tZ apa t a ’ s pa s tpe r s e c ut i on m a yha ve r e s ul t e d f r om tw o p o s s ib le m o tiv a tio n s , w h ic h w e r e u n r e la te d to a n yp r o te c te d g r o u n d s : ( 1 ) h is ac ce pt ance of m on eyfr om the pers ec ut ors t o p ayfor tui t i on and fai l ure t o p ayback the m one y ; a nd ( 2) hi s r e f us a l t o j oi n the pe r s e c ut or s i n s upport i ng the R evol ut i on ary A rm ed F orce s of C ol om bi a ( “ F A R C ”) . M oreover, the re cord s u p p o rts th e I J ’s r e f

u s a l to r e c o g n iz e a n yc o n n e c tio n b e tw e e n th e p o s s ib le p e r s e c u tio n Z ap a tas u f

f e r e d a n d ap o litic a l o p in io n th a t h is p e r s e c u to r s im p u te d to h i m. E v e n a s s u m in g , ar gue ndo , thatZ apat a’ s opp osi t i on t o the F A R C ’ s pol i t i ca l vi e w s c ons t i tut e d a n a f

f i rm a t i ve pol i t i c a l opi ni on ortha thi s a f f i l i a t i on w i th a m i l i t ary s choo l const i tut ed m em bers hi p i n a part i cul arsoci al grou p, subst ant i al e v id e n c e s u p p o rte d th e I J ’s f in d in g s . T h e e v id e n c e in th e r e c o r d d o e s n o t c o m p e l a f i ndi ng tha tZ apa t ae s t abl i s he d ane xus , e s pe c i a l l yi n l i ghtof the e vi de nc e s how i ng th a t th e p e r s e c u tio n m ig h t h a v e b e e n m o tiv a te d b yu n p r o te c te d g r o u n d s . A cc ordi ng l y, w e deny the pet i t i on re gardi ng Z apat a’ s w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al c l a i m. D I SM I SSED , I N PA R T; D EN I ED , I N PA R T.