FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEV EN T HC IRC U IT APR 5, 2007 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. 06- 15138 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ A ge nc y N os . A 78- 956- 585 A 79- 044- 446 A S D R U V A L V E L A S Q U E Z - F U N E Z , A L B A N U N E Z C A B R E R 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

_________________________ ( A p r i l5, 2007) B efo re T JO F L A T , H U L L an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: A s druva l V e l a s que z - F une z a nd A l baN une z C abr e r ape t i t i on f orr e vi e w of2

the de c i s i on of

the B oa r d of

I m m i gr a t i on A ppe a l s tha ta f f i rm e d w i thoutopi ni on the order of the Im m i grat i on Judg e denyi ng them as yl um , 8 U . S . C . § 1 15 8(a) (1); w i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l , 8 U . S . C . § 1231( b) ( 3) ; a nd r e l i e f unde rthe U ni t e d N a t i ons C on vent i on A gai nstT orture. V el as qu ez -F un ez and C abre raar gu e thatthe IJ erro n eo u sl y d en i ed th ei r p et i t i o n s fo r asyl u m an d w i th h o l d i n g o f rem o v al b ecau se V e l a s que z - F une z , af

orm e rH ondur a n pol i c e of f i c e r , i s am e m be rof

as oc i a l gr oup on a c c ountof

w hi c h the y both ha ve be e n pe r s e c ut e d a nd w oul d a ga i n be pe r s e c ut e d i f

r e turne d t o H ondur a s . W e de nythe i rpe t i t i on. T he pet i t i on er s’ bu rden before the IJi s s ett l ed. T o b e e l i gi bl e f or as yl um , an appl i ca ntm ustes t abl i sh thathe or she i s unabl e or unw i l l i ng t o return t o h i s or her hom e c ountry “ be c a us e of pe r s e c ut i on oraw e l l - f

ounde d f e a rof pe r s e c ut i on on a c c ountof

r a c e , r e l i gi on, na t i ona l i ty , m e m be r s hi p i n apa r t i c ul a rs oc i a l gr oup, or pol i t i c a l opi ni on . . . . ” 8 U . S . C . § 1101( a ) ( 42) ( A ) . T o qua l i f y f orw i thhol di ng of r e m ova l , a n a l i e n m us te s t abl i s h tha ti ti s m or e l i ke l y tha n nottha thi s orhe rl i f e or freed o m w o u l d b e th reat en ed o n acco u n to f h i s o r h er race, rel i g i o n , n at i o n al i ty, m e m be r s hi p i n apa r t i c ul a rs oc i a l gr oup, orpol i t i c a l opi ni on i f r e turne d t o hi s or h e rc o u n try o f

o r ig in . 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 3 1 ( b ) ( 3 ) ( A ) . V e l a s que z - F une z a nd C abr e r aa r gue tha tthe y qua l i f y f ora s y l um a nd w i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l be c a us e the y ha ve be e n a nd w oul d be pe r s e c ut e d on a c c ountof

V e l a s que z - F une z ’ s m e m be r s hi p i n apa r t i c ul a rs oc i a l gr oup— tha tof3

form erH on du ra n p ol i ce offi ce rs . V el as qu ez -F un ez and C abre rat es t i fi ed before the IJthatthey w er e pursued and threa t ened by m em bers of a gang aft er V el as qu ez -F un ez re spon ded t o a shoo t -outi n w hi ch m em bers of the gang w er e in v o lv e d , a n d w o u ld c o n tin u e to b e p u r s u e d a n d th r e a te n e d b y th e g a n g s h o u ld th ey b e rem o v ed t o H o n d u ras. T h i s arg u m en tfai l s. O u rr e v ie w o f

th e in te rp r e ta tio n s b y th e B I A o f s ta tu te s it is ta s k e d w ith i m pl e m e nt i ng “ i s i nf

orm e d by the pr i nc i pl e s of de f e r e nc e a r t i c ul a t e d i n C he vr on, U .S .A ., I n c ., v . N a tu r a l R e s o u r c e s D e f e n s e C o u n c il, I n c ., 4 6 7 U .S . 8 3 7 , 1 0 4 S . C t. 2778, 81 L . E d. 2d 694 ( 1984) , ” w hi c h r e qui r e s tha tw e uphol d a ny i nt e rpr e t a t i on of the B I A tha ti s r e a s onabl e . C a s t i l l o- A r i a s v. U . S . A tt ’ y G e n. , 446 F . 3d 1190, 1195 ( 11th C i r . 2006) . W e ha ve uphe l d a s r e a s onabl e the i nt e rpr e t a t i on of the B I A of the phr a s e “ pa r t i c ul a rs oc i a l gr oup” a s e xc l udi ng “ af orm e rpol i c e of

f i c e r ” w ho o f f e r s n o th in g m o r e th a n th a t h e w a s “s in g le d o u t f o rr e p r is a l, n o t b e c a u s e o f h is st atus as a f

orm erpo l i ce offi ce r, bu tbecause of hi s r ol e i n d i srup t i ng part i cul ar c r i m i na l a c t i vi ty . ” I d. a t1194 ( i nt e rna l quot a t i on m a rks a nd c i t a t i on om i tt e d) . F or tha tr e a s on, V e l a s que z - F une z a nd C abr e r a ’ s appl i c a t i ons f ora s y l um a nd w i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l a r e de ni e d. B ec ause V el as qu ez -F un ez and C abre ram ake no argum ent s on app ea l re gardi ng thei r app l i ca t i on s f or re l i ef un der the C on vent i on A gai nstT orture, they ha ve aba ndone d tha ti s s ue . S e e S e pul ve dav. U . S . A tt ’ y G e n. , 401 F . 3d 1226, 12284

n .2 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) . V el asq u ez-F u n ez an d C ab rera’s peti t i o n fo r rev i ew i s DE NI E D.