N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
M YR NA IRENE LOPEZ-C ASTANO, AKA M yra

C a sta no, Pe t i tione r,
v. M ERR IC K B
. GARLAND, Attorne y Ge ne ra l, R e sponde nt. No. 19-71809 Age n c y No. A209-138-837
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 and Subm i tte d Nove m

be r 19, 2021 San Fran c isc o , C a lifornia B e fore : W . FLETC HER

and M ILLER , C irc uit Judge s, a nd KOR M AN, ** Distric t Judge
. M yrna Ire ne Lope z -C a sta no (“ Pe titione r” ) pe titions for re vie wof the B oa rd of Im m igration Appe a l s’ s (“ B IA” ) de nia l of he r a ppe a l from

an Im m igration 

# FIL ED

NOV 26 2021 M OLLY C. DW Y E R, 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.

* * The Honora

ble Edwa rd R . Korm an, Unite d Stat e s Distric t Judge for the E a s te rn Distric t of Ne w York, sitting by de signa tion.Judge ’ s (“ IJ” ) de nia l of a sy l um , withholding of re m ova l, a nd prote c tion unde r the C onve ntion Against Torture(“ C AT” ). Pe titione r pre viously

live d with he r husba

n d a nd thre e c hildre n in the ir hom e town in M e x ic o. Ac c ording to Pe t itione r’ s te stim o ny , e v e ry y e a r in the ir town, theloc a l c arte l would ta rge t loc a l te e na g e girls to “ give ” to the ir boss. Pe titione r’ s da

u ghte r wa s one of the girls ta rge t e d by the c arte l, a

nd the c arte l thre ate ne d to kill the

e ntire fam ily . Pe titione r fle d with he r fam ily to the Unite d Stat e s. The IJ de nie d Pe titione r’ s a pplic ations for re lie f, and the B IA dism isse d Pe titione r’ s a

ppe a l. The B IA a ssum e d Pe titione r wa s c re dible but found tha t he r propose d pa rtic ula r soc ia l group (“ PSG” ), “ m othe rs of te e na ge da ughte rs,” wa s
ne ithe r suffic ie ntly

pa rtic ula r nor soc ia lly

distinc t . On Pe titione r’ s C AT
a pplic ation, theB IA found Pe titione r ha d not ide ntifie d suffic ie nt e vide nc e of like lihood of torture
. W e have jurisdic tion to re vie w the pe tition under 8 U.S.C . § 1252(a)(1). W e de ny the pe tition for re vie w . 1. Applic ants for a sy l um

and withholding of re

m ova l who re ly

on
m e m b e rship in a

PSG a s a prote c te d ground m

ust e sta blish tha t the propose d group is “ (1) c o m

pose d of m e m

be rs who sha

re a c om m on im m uta ble c ha ra c t e ristic , (2)
2de fine d with pa rtic ula rity , a nd (3) soc ia lly distinc t

within the

soc ie ty in que stion.” Re y e s v . Ly nc h , 842 F.3d 1125, 1131 (9th C ir. 2016) (quoting Matte r of M-E-V-G- , 26 I. & N. De c . 227, 237 (B IA 2014)). A propose d soc ia l group is not c ogniz a ble whe re “ soc ie ty -spe c ific e vide n c e of soc ia l distinc tion” is a bse nt. C ondeQue v e do
v . Barr , 947 F.3d 1238, 1243 (9th C ir. 2020). Substa ntia l e v ide nc e supports the B IA’ s de te rm ination tha

t Pe titione r’ s broa d

propose d PSG of a l l m othe rs of te e na ge da

u ghte rs is insuffic ie ntly

soc ia lly distinc t to c onstitute

a c ogniz a ble PSG. 2. To e sta b lish e ntitle m e nt to prote c tion unde r C AT, a n a pplic ant m

ust show

“ it is m o re like ly

tha n not tha t he or she would betorture d if re m o ve d to the propose d c ountry of re m ova l.” 8 C .F.R . § 1208.16(c )(2). Pe titione r did not provide suffic ie nt e vide nc e to c om pe l the c onc l usion tha

t, if she re turns to M e xic o y e ars a fte r the c a

rte l ta rge te d he r fam ily , she will m ore like ly tha n not be subje c t to torture . Se e Maire na v . Barr , 917 F.3d 1119, 1126 (9th C ir. 2019) (“ [O] ur ta sk is to de te rm ine whe t

he r the re is substa

ntia l e vide nc e to support the B IA’ s finding, not to substitute

an a na l y s is of whic h side in the fa c tua l disputewe find m ore pe rsua sive .” (quota

tion m arks a

nd c ita tions omitte d)). PE T IT IO N DE NIE D.

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