# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls
For the Eig hth Circu it

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _

No. 1 7- 10 53

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _

Carl os Argu el lo -Ro dr ig ue z

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Peti ti on er

v.

Je ffer so n B . Ses si on s, II I, Att or ne y Gene ral of t he Uni te d S ta te s

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Resp on de nt

__ __ __ __ __ __

Pet it io n fo r Rev ie w of a n Ord er o f th e Bo ard of I m

m ig rat io n Ap pe al s

__ __ __ __ __ __

Su bm it te d: Octo be r 18 , 20 17
Fil ed : No ve m

be r 14 , 20 17 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __

Befo re WOL LMAN, BEAM, an d S HEPHERD, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

__ __ __ __ __ __

PER CURI AM.

Carl os Arg ue ll o- Ro dr ig uez, a na tiv e an d ci tiz en of Me xico, pe ti ti on s fo r rev ie w
of an or de r of th e Bo ard of Im m ig rat io n A p p e al s (BIA) di sm is si ng hi s ap pe al fro m
th e de ci si on of an im m ig rat io n jud ge (IJ ) de nyin g hi s p e t i t io n fo r as y lu m an d

wit hh ol di ng of rem ov al

. See 8 U.S.C. §§ 11 58 (b )(1 )(B) (i)

, 12 31 (b )(3 ) (s et ti ng fo rth

fi v e gr ou nd s fo r an al ie n's el ig ib il it y fo r as y lu m an d wit hh ol di ng of rem ov al :pe rs ecu ti on on acco un t of "ra ce, rel ig io n, na ti o n a li ty, m em be rs hi p in a pa rti cu la r

so ci al gr ou p, or po li ti cal op in io n" )

. Arg ue ll o- Ro dr ig ue z so ug ht im m ig rat io n rel ie f

ba se d o n hi s m em

be rs hi p in th e pu rp or te d pa rti cu la r so ci al gr ou p "i nd iv id ua ls who

ha ve bo rro wed m on ey in Mex ic o an d are un ab le to pa y of f th ei r de bt s." The IJ fo un d

t ha t Arg ue ll o- Ro dr ig ue z's ap pl ic at io n fo r as y lu m was un ti m el y be cau se he e n t e r e d

th e Uni te d St at es in 20 10

, an d di d no t fil e hi s ap pl ic at io n un ti l Octo be r 20 15

. See 8

U.S.C. § 11 58 (a)( 2) (B) (d el in eat in g on e-year de ad li ne to ap pl y fo r as y lu m aft er al ie n
ha s arri ve d in th e U n i t e d St at es ). Fu rth er, th e IJ he ld th at no ne of th e st at ut or y

ex cep ti on s to th e on e-year de ad li ne ap pl ie d. Id

. § 11 58 (a)( 2) (D) (ex cu si ng on e-year
de ad li ne if a li en can de m on st rat e ch an ge d o r ex tra or di na ry cir cu m st an ces ).

The IJ a ls o d en ie d Arg ue ll o- Ro dr ig ue z's req ue st fo r wit hh ol di ng of r em ov al

. The IJ no te d th at Arg ue ll o- Ro dr ig ue z ha d no t be en t h r e a te ne d in Mex ic o or th e
Uni te d St at es ba se d up on hi s fai lu re to pa y hi s de bt s, an d th eref or e co ul d no t es ta bl is h

pa st or th e li ke li ho od of fu tu re pe rs ecu ti on

. The IJ al so fo un d th at A r g u e l l o

Ro dr ig ue z co ul d no t "d em on st rat e th at hi s li fe or free do m wou ld be th reat en ed in th e

co unt ry be ca use of m em

be rs hi p in a pa rti cu la r so ci al gr ou p, race , rel ig io n, na ti on al ity

,

or po li ti cal op in io n." See id

. § 12 31 (b )(3 ). Ess en ti al ly th e IJ reco gn iz ed th at whi le 1
Arg ue ll o- Ro dr ig ue z m ig ht be afra id of t he pe op le who lo an ed hi m m on ey , th is was

no t a m eri to rio us gro un d fo r wit hh ol di ng of r em ov al

.

On ap pe al to th e BIA, th e BIA ag reed wit h th e IJ th at Arg ue ll o- Ro dr ig ue z di d

no t "s uf fer[ ] pa st pe rs ecu ti on or th at he ha s a well -fo un de d fear of fu tu re pe rs ecu ti on

on acco un t of a pr ot ect ed gr ou nd un de r th e Act." The BI A f u r t h er cred it ed th e IJ 's

fin di ng th at Arg ue ll o- Ro dr ig ue z was si m pl y afra id of hi s cred it or s. Deb t reco up m en t

was th e real m ot iv at io n of th e in di vi du al s fear ed by Arg ue ll o- Ro dr ig ue z, an d th us ,

The IJ al so reject ed Arg ue ll o- Ro dr ig ue z's cl ai m pu rs ua nt to th e Co nv en ti on 1 Aga in st Tort ur e, bu t Arg ue ll o- Ro dr ig ue z di d no t ch al le ng e th is ru li ng on ap p e al to th e BIA or to th is co ur t an d it is th eref or e waiv ed

. Ch ay -Vel as qu ez v. Ash cro ft, 36 7
F.3 d 7 51 , 75 6 (8 th Cir . 20 04 ).

-2

-th e BIA he ld th at he di d no t m eet hi s bu rd en of pr ov in g th at "h i s memb e r sh ip in a

pa rti cu la r so ci al gro up , or o th er p ro te ct ed gro un d u nd er t he Act, was or wou ld be a
'cen tra l reas on ' fo r an y pe rs ecu ti on ." Acco rd in gl y , th e BIA di sm i ss ed
Arg ue ll o- Ro dr ig ue z's ap pe al

. In fro nt of th is co ur t, Arg ue ll o- Ro dr ig ue z arg ue s t he

BIA im pe rm is si bl y en ga ge d in fact -fi nd in g wit h it s la tt er fin di ng ab ou t on e "ce nt ral

reas on " fo r hi s al le ge d p ers ecu ti on in Mex ic o. Arg ue ll o- Ro dr ig ue z al so arg ue s t he

IJ co nf la te d t he pa st an d fu tu re p ers ecu ti on an al y si s.

W e ha ve juri sd ic ti on to rev ie w th is fin al or de r of th e BIA pu rs ua nt to 8 U.S.C.
§ 12 52

. W e ge ne ral ly rev ie w th e BIA's de ci si on as th e fin al ag en cy act io n, bu t whe re,

as he re, th e BIA ad op ts th e IJ 's op in io n whi le ad di ng so m e of it s own reas on in g, we

rev ie w b ot h de ci si on s. Ju arez Ch il el v. Hol de r, 77 9 F.3 d 8 5 0

, 85 3 (8 th Ci r. 20 15 ).

W e de fer to th e ag en cy 's de ci si on an d wil l up ho ld th e de ni al of rel ie f if it is su pp or te d by su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce un le ss th e al ie n can de m on s t r a t e t h a t th e ev id en ce was so

co m pe ll in g th at no reas on ab le fact fin de r wou ld fai l to fin d in hi s fav or

. De Cas tro

Gut ie rrez v. Ho ld er, 7 13 F.3d 37 5, 3 79 (8t h C ir. 2 01 3)

.

Hav in g care fu ll y rev ie wed th e ad m in is tra ti ve reco rd an d co n s i de red
Arg ue ll o- Ro dr ig ue z's arg um en ts
, we co nc lu de th at su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce su pp or ts th e
fin di ng th at he fai le d to sh ow pa st pe rs ecu ti on or a well fo un de d fear of fu tu r e

pe rs ecu ti on in Mex ic o du e to on e of th e st at ut or il y pr ot ect ed gr ou nd s. See id

. at 38 0 ( " Th e BIA req ui res th at a pa rti cu la r so ci al gr ou p (1 ) ha ve so ci al vi si bi li ty; (2 ) b e
de fin ed wit h par ti cu la rit y to av oi d in de te rm in at e gr ou p m em be rs hi p; an d (3 ) no t b e
de fin ed ex cl us iv el y by th e fact th at it s m em be rs ha ve be en ta rg et ed fo r pe rs ecu ti on .").

And , Argu el lo -Ro dr ig ue z can no t es ta bl is h th at no reas on ab le fact fin de r wou ld fai l

to fin d in hi s fav or ba se d up on th e reco rd in th is cas e. Id

. at 3 7 9

. Arg ue ll oRo dr ig ue z's arg um en ts reg ard in g a st ray se nt en ce in th e IJ 's or de r do no t ch an ge th is

fu nd am en ta l fa ct

. Nor di d th e BIA en ga ge in it s o wn fa ct fin di ng . W e acc or di ng ly

de ny the pe ti ti on for

rev ie w.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

-3

-