N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
JUAN M ANUEL C A LDER O N-TORRES,

Pe t i tione r, v. JEFFER SON B . SESSIONS III, Attorne y Ge ne ra l, R e sponde nt. No. 14-73378 Age n c y No. A037-581-229 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 Argue d a nd Subm itte d

July 11, 2018 Se attle , W a s hington B e fore : FER

NANDEZ, C LIFTON, a

n d NGUYEN, C irc uit Judge s. Jua n M anue l C a l de ron-Torre s pe titions for re vie w of a n orde r of re m ova l and the de nia l of his a

pplic ations for withholding of re m o va l and for re l ie f unde r the C onve ntion Aga inst Torture . W e de ny the pe t ition for re vie w. 

# FIL ED JUL 20 2018 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, 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.Substa ntia l e v i de nc e supporte d

the c o nc lusion tha

t the ha rm that C a lde ronTorre s suffe re d did not rise to the le ve l of pe rse c ution. Se e H ox ha v
. Ashc roft , 319 F.3d 1179, 1181–82 (9th C i r. 2003) (holding tha t ha ra ssm e n t, thre at s, a

nd
m istre at m e nt sinc e e arly c hildhood— inc luding a

c o nfronta

tion re sulting in fac ia l bruise s a nd two broke n ribs—

we re not so se ve re a s to rise to the le ve l of pe rse c ution). C a l d e ron-Torre s a sse rts tha t his c a se is distinguisha

ble from Hox ha , but the injurie s suffe re d by C a lde ron-Torre s, e ve n c onside re d c um ulative ly , we re not a ppre c ia bly m o re se ve re tha

n the ha rm a lle ge d in Hox ha , a

nd the fa c t

ua l distinc tions tha

t C a lde ron-Torre s ide ntifie d we re irre le va nt to theque s tion of whe the r the pa st ha

rm rose to the le ve l of pe rse c ution. Nor did C a lde ron-Torre s e sta blish a we ll-founde d fe ar that he would suffe r a buse in the future tha

t would am ount to pe rse c ution. Se e8 C .F.R . 1208.16(b)(2). The e vide nc e did not c o m pe l a c onc lusion tha

t C a lde ron-Torre s ’ propose d pa rtic u la r soc ia l groups (form e r gang m e m be rs, those pe rc e ive d to be a c tive ga ng m e m b e rs, a nd those who ha

ve re fuse d re c ruitm e nt e fforts by drug c arte ls in M e x ic o) are c ogniz a

ble unde r 8 U.S.C . § 1231(b)(3). C a lde ron-Torre s wa s re quire d to e sta

blish with evide nc e tha

t at le a st one of his groups wa s soc ia lly distinc t within M e xic an soc ie ty . Re y e s v . Ly nc h , 842 F.3d 1125, 1131–32, 1136 (9th C ir. 2016); Pirir-Boc v . Holde r , 750 F.3d 1077, 1084 (9th C ir. 2014). He

2re lie d upon his own te stim ony to m e e t this re quire m e nt, but tha t te stim ony

did not e sta blish how the

broa de r M e xic an soc i e ty tre ate d othe rs within the

propose d groups. His own e xpe rie n c e wa s tie d to him s e lf individual ly . Nota bly , his a rre st and de te ntion re sulte d from his posse ssion of m arijua na and his re fusa l to te ll the polic e its sourc e a fte r the polic e stoppe d him . Tha t e xpe rie nc e did not e sta

blish how soc ie ty

or the polic e tre ate d individuals within a ny of the purporte d soc ia l groups who ha

v e not viola

te d the la w. The e v ide nc e tha

t C a lde ron-Torre s pre s e nte d the re fore did not e sta blish tha t his groups were soc ia lly distinc t within M e x ic an soc ie ty . Fina lly , substa

ntia l e v ide nc e supporte d the c o nc lusion tha t it wa s not m ore like ly tha n not tha t C a lde ron-Torre s would betorture d if re m ove d to M e xic o , a s re quire d to obta in C AT re l ie f. The te stim o ny that C a lde ron-Torre s provide d did not c om pe l the c onc lusion tha

t the m istre at

m e nt tha t he suffe re d wa s so se ve re tha t it rose to the “ e xtre m e form of c rue l a

nd inhum an tre atm e n t” tha t is torture
. 8 C .F.R . § 1208.18(a); se e also K hudav e rdy a n v . Holde r , 778 F.3d 1101, 1103, 1109 n.7 (9th C ir. 2015) (holding tha t the B IA did not e rr in c onc luding tha t the ha rm that the a pplic ant suffe re d, inc luding be ing de ta ine d, be ate n , a nd thre ate ne d by
m ilita ry polic e , did not rise

to the le v e l of torture ). Pe tition DE N IE D. 3