NOT FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

JOSE LUIS COLOCHA-PERAZA, 

Petitioner, 

 v. 

MERRICK B. GARLAND, Attorney 

General, 

Respondent.

No. 16-72078 

Agency No. A200-953-454 

MEMORANDUM*

On Petition for Review of an Order of the

Board of Immigration Appeals

Submitted February 15, 2022**

Before: FERNANDEZ, TASHIMA, and FRIEDLAND, Circuit Judges.

Jose Luis Colocha-Peraza, a native and citizen of El Salvador, petitions for 

review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order dismissing his appeal 

from an immigration judge’s (“IJ”) decision denying his application for 

withholding of removal and relief under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). 

* This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent 

except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.

** The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision 

without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).

FILED

FEB 23 2022

MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK

U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
2 16-72078 

Our jurisdiction is governed by 8 U.S.C § 1252. We review de novo the legal 

question of whether a particular social group is cognizable, except to the extent 

that deference is owed to the BIA’s interpretation of the governing statutes and 

regulations. Conde Quevedo v. Barr, 947 F.3d 1238, 1241-42 (9th Cir. 2020). We 

review for substantial evidence the agency’s factual findings. Id. at 1241. We 

deny in part and dismiss in part the petition for review.

The agency did not err in concluding that Colocha-Peraza did not establish 

membership in a cognizable particular social group. See Reyes v. Lynch, 842 F.3d 

1125, 1131 (9th Cir. 2016) (in order to demonstrate membership in a particular 

social group, “[t]he applicant must ‘establish that the group is (1) composed of 

members who share a common immutable characteristic, (2) defined with 

particularity, and (3) socially distinct within the society in question’” (quoting 

Matter of M-E-V-G-, 26 I. & N. Dec. 227, 237 (BIA 2014))). To the extent 

Colocha-Peraza raises a new proposed social group in his opening brief, we lack 

jurisdiction to consider it. See Barron v. Ashcroft, 358 F.3d 674, 677-78 (9th Cir. 

2004) (court lacks jurisdiction to review claims not presented to the agency). 

Thus, Colocha-Peraza’s withholding of removal claim fails.

Colocha-Peraza does not contend that the BIA erred in concluding that he 

waived any challenge to the IJ’s denial of CAT relief. See Lopez-Vasquez v. 

Holder, 706 F.3d 1072, 1079-80 (9th Cir. 2013) (issues not specifically raised and 
3 16-72078 

argued in a party’s opening brief are waived). We lack jurisdiction to consider 

Colocha-Peraza’s contentions regarding the merits of his CAT claim because he 

did not raise them to the BIA. See Barron, 358 F.3d at 677-78. Thus, ColochaPeraza’s CAT claim fails.

We do not consider the materials Colocha-Peraza references in his opening 

brief that are not part of the administrative record. See Fisher v. INS, 79 F.3d 955, 

963-64 (9th Cir. 1996) (en banc).

The temporary stay of removal remains in place until issuance of the 

mandate. 

PETITION FOR REVIEW DENIED in part; DISMISSED in part.