N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
JULIO B ENJAM IN GONZALEZ-PENA,

Pe t i tione r,
v. M ERR IC K B
. GARLAND, Attorne y Ge ne ra l, R e sponde nt. No. 22-1303 Age n c y No. A87-629-112
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 Fe brua

ry 13, 2024 Subm ission Va c ate d Fe brua ry 14, 2024 R e subm itte d

April 10, 2024 Pa sa de n a , C a l ifornia B e fore : W . FLETC HER , NGUYEN, a nd LEE, C irc uit Judge s. Pe titione r Julio B e nja

m in Gonz a le z -Pe na

pe titions for re vie w of a

n orde r by the B oa rd of Im m igration Appe a ls (“ B IA” ) dism issing his a ppe a l from

the de nia l of his c la im s for withholding of re m ova l a nd prote c tion under the C onve ntion



# FIL ED APR 10 2024 M OLLY C. DW Y E R, CLERK U. S. CO URT O F A PPEALS

* 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.Aga inst Torture(“ C AT” ). W e have jurisdic tion under 8 U.S.C . § 1252. W e de ny

the p e tition. Gonz a le z -Pe na

argue s tha

t a re gula tion ba rring a s y lum

c la im s by

nonc itiz e ns who a

re subje c t to re insta

te d re m ova l orde rs c onflic t s with his rights unde r the a sy lum sta

t ute and his right to due

proc e s s unde r the c onstitution. We have
re je c te d the c l a im that this re gula tion is inc onsiste nt with the a sy lum sta tute . Pe re z-Guzman v . Ly nc h , 835 F.3d 1066, 1082 (9th C ir. 2016). W e have a l so he ld that the “ [r] e insta

t e m e nt of a

prior re m ova l orde r—

re ga rdle ss of theproc e ss
a fforde d in theunde rly ing orde r— doe s not offe nd due proc e s s.” MoralesIzquie rdo v . Gonzale

s , 486 F.3d 484, 497 (9th C ir. 2007) (e n ba nc ). B e c a use Gonz a le z -Pe na ’ s 2009 a

nd 2010 re m ova l orde rs ha ve not be e n “ inva lida

te d on
c onstitutiona

l grounds,”the re insta

te m e nt of those orde rs a

n d Gonz a le z -Pe n a ’ s pla c e m e nt in withholding-only proc e e dings did not viola t e his dueproc e ss rights. Se eVilla-Anguiano v

. Holde r , 727 F.3d 873, 879 (9th C ir. 2013). Substa ntia l e v i de nc e supports the B IA’ s c onc lusion tha

t Gonz a le z -Pe na

did not show pa st pe rse c ution. Gonz a le z -Pe n a wa s not pe rsona lly

subje c t to violenc e in El Sa l va dor. He points inste a d to thre ats he e xpe rie nc e d a n d the killing of his olde r c ousin by

M S-13 ga

n g m e m be rs. B ut thethre ats he de sc ribe s we re not a s
se ve re a s thosewe have found suffic ie nt to de m onstra te pa st pe rse c ution whe n
2those thre ats we re m a de in c onjunc tion with viole nc e to a pe titione r’ s fam ily
m e m b e r or m e m

be rs. Se e , e .g. , Lim v . I.N

.S. , 224 F.3d 929, 936 (9th C i r. 2000) (“ re pe at e d a

nd e spe c ia l ly m e n a c ing de ath thre at s c an c onstitute a prim ary

pa rt of a pa st pe rse c ution c l a im , ” e spe c ia lly whe n c om

bine d with “ atta c k[s] on fa m ily ” or othe r m istre atm e nt). M ore ove r, the B IA c orre c tly note d tha t Gonz a le z -Pe na ’ s
re m a ining fa

m i ly in El Sa lva d or ha s not be e n phy sic a l ly ha rm e d. This e vide nc e doe s not “ c om pe l[] the c onc lusion”tha

t Gonz a l e z -Pe na
e xpe rie nc e d pa st pe rse c ution or tha t it is mo re like l y

tha n not tha t he would be pe rse c ute d in thefuture if re m ove d to El Sa lva dor. C ordon-Garc ia v . I.N

. S. , 204 F.3d 985, 990 (9th C ir. 2000); se ealso Sanjaa v

. Se ssions , 863 F.3d 1161, 1164 (9th C ir. 2017). For thesa m e re a son, thee vide nc e doe s not c om pe l the c onc lusion that it is mo re like l y

tha n not tha t Gonz a l e z -Pe na

would besubje c t to torturein El Sa lva d or. Se e Planc arte

Sauc e da v . Garland

, 23 F.4th 824, 834 (9th C ir. 2022). The B IA the re fore did not err in de ny ing Gonz a le z -Pe na ’ s c l a im s for withholding of re m ova l a

n d C AT re lie f. PE T IT IO N DE NIE D.

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