A y oun ger c hil d, An thon y Perez-M end ez, is a citizen of the Un ited S tates. 1 NOT RE CO M M E NDE D F OR F UL L
- T E XT P UB L I CA T I ON Fi l e N ame: 10a0200n. 06 09- 3298 UNI TED S TATES CO URT O F AP PEALS F O R T H E S IX T H C IR C U IT
S I L VI A VE RO NI CA M E NDE Z
- CO RO NADO, KE VI N J OS UE P E RE Z
- M E NDE Z , HE CT OR OD I LM AR PEREZ, P et i t i on ers ,

v. E R IC H . H O L D E R , JR ., A tto rn e yG e n e ra l, R e sp o n d e n t. O n Pet i t i on forR evi ew fr om t he B oar d of I m m i gr at i on A p p e a ls

/ B efore: G U Y , C O L E , an d S U T T O N , C i rcu i t Jud ges. R A L P H B . G U Y , J R . , C ir c u it J u d g e . Pet i t i oner s , al l nat i ves and ci t i zens of G u a tem a la, s e e k re v iew o f th e B IA ’s f

in a l o rd e r of re m o v a l d e n y in g th e a p p lica tio n o f S ilv ia M endez
- C or onado forr el i ef, as w el l as t he der i vat i ve appl i cat i ons of herhus band H ect or O d il m ar Per ez a nd t hei rm i nors on K evi n J os ue Per ez- M endez
. Pet i t i oner s ar gue that 1
s ubs t ant i al evi dence does nots uppor tt he B I A ’ s det erm i nat i on t hatM endez
- C or onado fa i l ed t o est abli sh groun ds for w i t hh oldi ng o f rem ov al or r el i ef un der the C on ven t i on A gainst09-3298 2

M end ez-Coronad o testified that she d id n ot ap ply for a s ylu ms oon er be cause she was afraid of 2 being arrested, didnot know wh ere to get help, anddidnot have moneyto pay to go thr oughthe proces s. T o r tu r e ( CA T )
. Af

t e rr e v i e w o f

t h e r e c o r d , we d e n yt h e p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w.

I. Si l vi a M endez
- C or onado, t he l ead pe t i t i oner , w as bor n i n G uat emal a on J anuary4, 1 9 7 8 ; m a rrie d H e c to r P e r e z o n A u g u st 2 , 1 9 9 6 ; an d e n ter e d th e U n ited S tate s illeg a llyin O ct ober1998. M endez
- C or onado s t ay ed i n C al i forni a, w her e herm ot herand s ever al sib lin g s liv e d , fo r a p p ro x im a telyf o u r m o n th s b e f

o re m o v in g w ith h e r h u sb a n d a n d so n to O hi o. O n O ct ober 28, 2002, four y ear s aft erent er i ng t he U ni t ed St at es , M endez
- C or onado fi l ed an a ppl i cat i on foras y l um s t at i ng t hats he l eftG uat em ala b ecaus e guerr i l l as had
a t t e mp t e d t o r e c ru i th e ra n d t h r e a t e n e d h e rwh e n s h e r e f u s e d t o j o i n t h e m. 2 I n N ovember 2003, aft erM endez
- C or onado w as i nt ervi ew ed, pet i t i oner s w er e i s s ued N o ti ce s to A p p ea r ch arg ing them w ith rem o v ab il ity u n d er 8 U . S . C . § 1 1 8 2 (a)(6)(A )(i ). Pet i t i oner s conce ded r emovabi l i t ybefor e an I m m i gr at i on J udge ( I J ) , as al l t hr ee ha d ent er ed t he U ni t ed St at es i l l egal l y . Seeki ng r el i ef f r om rem oval , M endez
- C or onado r enew ed her req u est fo r asy lum an d so u g h t w ith h o lding o f rem o v al an d reli ef u n d er the C A T . P eti ti o n ers al s o appl i ed, i n t he al t ernat i ve, forvol unt arydepartur e. T he onl y w i t nes s at t he m er i t s hear i ng hel d i n N ovember 2007, M en d ez -C or onado t es t i fi ed t hat i n 1998 s om e guer i l l as came t o her t ow n and t r i ed t o r ecrui t heran d sev era l ot hery o u n g w o m en t o cook and c l ean f ort hem. W hen the w om en r efus ed, t he guer i l l as t hr eat ened to r etur n and t ake them byfor ce. A fr ai d, M endez
- C or onado r es t r i ct ed her09-3298 3

Petition ers co nced e that because the asy lum applicatio n was deniedsolely on the groun d th at it was 3 unt i m e l y an d th e i s s u e d i d n o t p r e s e n t a c o n s t i tut i o n a l c l a i m o r qu e s t i o n o f l aw , th i s c o urti s w i tho ut act i vi t i es and s t ay ed i n t he hous e. A few day s l at er , a l et t er w it h hername on i tw as d e livered t o her ho use. T he l et t er t hreat ened t orture and death becau se she had re f u se d to j oi n t he guer i l l as . She d id n otr epor tt hi s t o t he author i t i es , and no l ongerhad the l et t er b ec au se sh e d estroy ed it
. N eit h er sh e n o r he r hu sb an d rec eive d an yf u rth er threa ts be fo re l eavi ng G uat emal a a f

ew m ont hs l at er . A fem ale co u si n l i vi ng nearbyr ece i ved a s i m i l ar t hr eat eni ng l et t erand moved aw ayt o t he ca pi t al ci ty . A s ked w hy s he di d notdo t he s ame, M endez
- C or onado expl ai ned that s he di d notknow any one i n t he ca pi t al and thats he bel i eved thatno one i s s afe i n G uat emal a. I ns t ead, M endez
- C or onado ca m e t o C al i forni a,
w here her m otherhad been l i ving fo r a num ber of y ears . M endez
- C or onado al s o t es t i fi ed thatherfather , a sol di er i n t he G uat emal an arm y , w as
m ur der ed i n 1996. H erfatherw as dr i vi ng a t ruck t hat w as s t opped by fi ve m en w ho m ade herfatherget out of t he t ruck and t hen shot hi m i n t he head. H er fatherw as notr obbed, and th e o th e r tw o m e n w ith h im w e re n o t h a rm e d . A lth o u g h M e n d e z -C o ro n a d o h a d n o t b e e n in G uat emal a dur i ng t he pr evi ous t en y ear s and di d nothave much cont actw i t h any one l i vi ng there , s h e testi fied that sh e f ea red h arm if sh e w ere to return b ec au se th e g u erril las are “pr es entt her e al l t he t i m e. ” She ac know l edged thatt her e had be en el ect i ons , a c h ange of g o v e r n m e n t , a n d a n e n d t o t h e c i v i l w a ri n G u a t e m a l a , b u ts t a t e d t h a tt h e r e w e r e “ a l w a ys
w a rs g o in g o n .” T h e Im m ig ra tio n J u d g e (I J ) f o u n d th a t th e a s ylu m a p p lic a tio n w a s tim e b a rr e d , a d e ter m in a tio n th a t w a s a f f irm e d b y th e B IA a n d is n o t c h a llen g e d b y p e tit io n e rs o n a p p e a l. 309-3298 4

j uri sdictionto review th e d ecision den y ing the asy lumclaim. Alm uh taseb v. Gon zales , 453 F. 3d 743, 74 7- 48 (6th Ci r. 2006). Th e petitionfor review automaticallyterminatedthe grant of vo lun tary departure, see 8 C .F.R. § 4 1240 . 26( i ) ( 2009 ) , and thi s c o urtd e ni e d p e t i t i o ne r s ’ m o t i o n f o r s t ay o f r e mo v a l o n N o v e mb e r

23 , 20 09. T he IJ al so fou nd t hat M end ez-C oronad o, al t ho ug h cr edibl e, fai l ed to est abli sh (1) ei t her past per s ecut i on ora cl earpr obabi l i t yof futur e per s ecut i on on acc ount of a pr ot ect ed gr ound as is re q u ire d f

o r w ith h o ld in g o f

re m o v a l; o r (2 ) th a t itw a s m o re lik e lyth a n n o t th a t sh e w o u ld b e torture d if sh e re turn ed to G u atem ala a s req u ir e d f o r re li ef u n d er the C A T . T h e B IA agr eed w i t h t he I J ’ s fi ndi ngs and di s m i s s ed pet i t i oner ’ s appea l i n a fi nal deci s i on ent er ed on February24, 2009. T hi s appea l fol l ow ed. 4 II. Wh e n , a s h e r e , t h e BI A r e v i e ws t h e I J ’ s d e c i s i o n a n d i s s u e s i t s o wn o p i n i o n , we re v ie w th e B IA ’s d e c is io n a s th e f in a l a g e n c yd e te rm in a tio n . See Mor ga n v. Keis l er , 507 F . 3 d 1 0 5 3 , 1 0 5 7 ( 6 t h Ci r . 2 0 0 7 )
. T o t h e e x t e n tt h a tt h e BI A a d o p t s t h e I J ’ s r e a s o n i n g , we
a ls o re v ie w th o s e p o rt io n s o f th e IJ ’s d e c is io n . See Khal i l i v. H older , 5 5 7 F .3 d 4 2 9 , 4 3 5 (6 th C ir
. 2 0 0 9 ). Q ues t i ons of l aw ar e r evi ew ed de novo, s ubs t ant i al defe r ence i s gi ven t o t he B I A ’ s i nt erpr et at i on of the s t atut e and a ppl i cabl e re gul at i ons , and fa ctual fi ndi ngs m us tbe
s us t ai ned i f thei rdet erm i nat i o n i s “s uppor t ed byr eas onabl e, s ubs t ant i al , and pr obat i ve evi dence on t he r ecor d co n side red a s a w hol e. ” I N S v. E l i as - Zacar i as , 502 U . S. 478, 481 ( 1 9 9 2 )
. Un d e rt h e s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e s t a n d a r d , we mayn o tr e v e r s e s i mp l yb e c a u s e we
w o u ld h a v e d e c id e d d if f e re n tly. See G is ht a v. G onz al es , 4 0 4 F . 3 d 9 7 2 , 9 7 8 (6th C ir
. 2 0 0 5 ). R ather , “the admi ni s t r at i ve fi ndi ngs of fact ar e concl us i ve unl es s anyr eas onabl e adj udi cat or09-3298 5

w o u ld b e c o m p ell ed to co n clud e to th e c o n tr ary . ” 8 U . S . C . § 1 2 5 2 (b)(4 )(B ). A. W i t h h o l d i n g o f

Re mo v a l u n d e r t h e I NA For w i t hhol di ng of r emoval undert he I m m i gr at i on and N at i onal i zat i on A ct( I N A ) , an
a p p lica n t m u st d e m o n stra te th a t, i f re m o v e d to h is h o m e c o u n try , h is “ life o r f re e d o m w o u ld be thr eat ened” on acc ount of hi s r ace , r el i gi on, nat i onal i t y , m ember s hi p i n a part i cul ars oci al gr oup, orp ol i t i cal opi ni on. 8 U . S. C . § 1231( b) ( 3) ( A )
. T o m eett hi s bur den, t he appl i cant
m us tes t abl i s h a cl earpr obabi l i t yof per s ecut i on, m eani ng t hat “i ti s m or e l i kel yt han not ” that h e w o u ld b e s u b

je c t to p e rs e c u tio n u p o n h is re tu rn . IN S v . S tev ic , 467 U . S. 407, 413, 424 (1 9 8 4 ); se e a lso P ili c a v . A sh c ro ft , 388 F. 3d 941, 951 ( 6t h C i r . 2004)
. I f the appl i cantpr oves pas tper s ecut i on, “ther e i s a pr es um pt i on, s ubj ectt o r ebut t al by t he G overnm ent , t hathi s ‘ l i fe
or fr eedom w oul d be t hr eat ened i n t he futur e’ i n t he countr yof r emoval
. ” G jyz i v. A sh c ro

ft , 3 8 6 F .3 d 7 1 0 , 7 1 5 (6 th C ir. 2 0 0 4 ) (q u o tin g 8 C .F .R . § 2 0 8 .1 6 (b )(1 )(i)); s ee al s o A lm uht as eb
v. G onz al es , 4 5 3 F .3 d 7 4 3 , 7 5 0 n .6 (6 th C ir. 2 0 0 6 ) (re c o g n izin g th a t p re su m p tio n a p p lies to
w ith h o lding o f re m o v al). M e n d e z -C o ro n a d o c laim s tha t sh e su f f e re d p a st pe rse c u tio n in G u a tem a la a s a re su lt of havi ng r efus ed t o j oi n t he guerr i l l as . A cco rdin g to h er t es t i m ony , w hi ch the I J found
cr edi bl e, t he guerr i l l as t hr eat ened t o r etur n and t ake he rw i t h t hem byfor ce, and then s enther
a l e t t e ra f

e w d a y s l a t e r t h r e a t e n i n g t o r tu r e a n d d e a t h f o rr e f u s i n g t o g o wi t h t h e m. No p h y sic a l h a rm c a m e to h e r o r h e r h u sb a n d , h o w e v e r , a n d sh e re c e iv e d n o f u rth e r th re a ts befor e l eaving G uat emal a a f ew m ont hs l at er . A l t hough t he t erm “per s ecut i on” i s not defi ned byt he I N A , w e ha v e h eld tha tper s ecut i on “‘ r equi r es m or e than a f ew i s ol at ed09-3298 6

in c id e n ts of v e rb a l h a ra ss m e n t o r in tim id a tio n , u n a c c o m p a n ied b ya n yp h y sic a l p u n ish m e n t, i nfl i ct i on of harm , ors i gni fi cantdepr i vat i on of l i ber t y . ’ ” G i l aj v. G onz al es , 408 F. 3d 275, 284 ( 6t h C i r . 2005) ( quot i ng Mi kh a i l e v i t c h v . I NS , 1 4 6 F .3 d 3 8 4 , 3 9 0 (6 th C ir. 1 9 9 8 )). In th is
cas e, t he isol at ed and unf ul fi l l ed thr eat s do notcons t i tut e pas tper s ecut i on, and no p re s u m p tio n o f f

u tu re p e rs e c u tio n a ri s e s . S e e Ca s t e l l a n o - Ch a c o n v . I NS , 341 F. 3d 533, 550 (6th C ir
. 2 0 0 3 ). A lso, th e B IA fo u n d that there w as n o ev iden ce that h er f athe r’s m u rd e r tw o y ea rs ea rl ier w as o n ac co u n t o f a p rotec ted g rou n d , o r o n a g rou n d that related to h er in p arti cu lar. Pet i t i oner s do n o tchal l enge thi s det erm i nat i on on appea l
. T he B I A ’ s concl us i on t hat M endez
- C or onado fa i l ed t o demonst r at e pas tper s ecut i on i s s uppor t ed bys ubs t ant i al evi dence
. N ext , t he B I A concl uded thatM endez
- C or onado fa i l ed t o ot herw i s e es t abl i s h a cl ear pr ob a b i l i t yo f

f u tu r e p e r s e c u t i o n o n a c c o u n to f o n e o f t h e e n u me r a t e d g r o u n d s . A s s er t i ng t hatherr efus al t o go w i t h t he guerr i l l as w oul d be dee m ed to be opposi t i on t o t hei rcaus e, M endez
- C or onado cl ai m ed i tw as m or e l i kel y t han nott hats he w oul d be per s ecut ed on the bas i s of i m put ed pol i t i cal opi ni on i f s he w er e t o r etur n t o G uat emal a. A l tho u g h the IJ
acc ept ed t hat t he fea r ed per s ecut i on w oul d be on the bas i s of i m put ed pol i t i cal opi ni on, t he Supr eme C our tr ej ect ed a si m i l aras y l um cl ai m on t he gr ounds t hatt he pet i t i oner ’ s r es i s t ence t o r ecrui t m ent b y t he guerr i l l as dur i ng t he G uat emal an ci vi l w arw as notan expr es s i on of p o litic a l o p in io n . See El i as - Zacar i as , 5 0 2 U . S. at482. T he C our texpl ai ned thatt he per s ecut i on m us t tur n on t he “ victi m ’s pol i t i cal opi ni on, nott he per s ecut or ’ s . ” Id .; see al so09-3298 7

P as cual v. Mukas ey , 514 F. 3d 483, 486 ( 6t h C i r . 2007) ( hol di ng t hatabduct i on of pet i t i oner byguerr i l l as dur i ng t he G uat emal an ci vi l w arw as notper sec u ti o n b ased on the victi m ’s pol i t i cal opi ni on)
. I n t hi s cas e, t her e i s l i t t l e bas i s t o concl ude t hat per s ecut i on of M endez
Cor o n a d o wou l d b e o n t h e b a s i s o f h erpol i t i cal opi ni on gi ven hert es t i m onyt hatt he g u e r r i l l a s s o u g h tt o r e c ru i th e rt o c o o k a n d c l e a n f o rt h e m. O urdeci s i on need notr es ton t his b asis , how ever , beca us e s ubs t ant i al evi dence
su p p o rts the B IA ’s f

in d in g th a t M e n d e z -C o ro n a d o f a iled to d e m o n stra te a c lea r p ro b a b ili ty th a t sh e w o u ld su f

f e r p e rse c u tio n a t th e h a n d s o f th e g u e rrillas if sh e w e re to re tu rn to G uat emal a. I n s uppor t of hercl ai m , M endez
- C or onado expr es s ed the bel i ef that , des pi t e the end of t he ci vi l w ar and t he el ect i on of a new governm ent , t he guerr i l l as cont i nued t o have
a pr es ence i n G uat emal a and the governm entw oul d notbe abl e t o pr ot ecther
. She conce ded,
as s he must , t hatcondi t i ons have i m pr oved, butar gued bas ed on the St at e D epart m ent ’ s 2006 C ount r yR epor t s t hats er i ous pr obl ems r emai ned of human r i ght s vi ol at i ons and w i des pr ead
s oci et al vi ol ence . T he C ount r yR epor t s r efl ect ed co n ti n u ed human r i ght s vi ol at i ons by
m e m b e rs o f

th e se c u rityf

o rc e s a n d p o lice , b u t m a d e n o m e n tio n o f o n g o in g g u e rrilla act i vities o r forced recrui t m ents . N or does t he g eneral l evel of soci et al viol ence e st abli sh p e rs e c u tio n . See Cast el l ano- C hacon , 3 4 1 F .3 d a t 5 5 0 ; A lm uht as eb , 453 F. 3d at750 ( hol di ng t hatfea rof the gene r al i zed pos s i bi l i t yof per s ecut ion i s i ns uffi ci entforw i t hhol di ng of
r emoval )
. T he B I A ’ s deni al of w i t hhol di ng of r emoval undert he I N A w as s uppor t ed by
s ubs t ant i al evi dence
. B. Re l i e f

u n d e r t h e CAT09-3298 8

T o quali fyforw i t hhol di ng of r emoval undert he C A T , t he appl i cantneed not dem on strat e t hat the h arm w ou l d b e on accou nt of an enu m erat ed g round , bu t“m ustest abli sh a ‘ par t i cul ar i zed thr eatof t or tu re. ’ ” A lm uht as eb , 453 F. 3d at751 ( quot i ng C as t el l anoC hacon , 341 F. 3d at551)
. T he B I A agr eed w i t h t he I J t hatM endez
- C or onado di d not
e sta b lish th a t “it is m o re lik e lyth a n n o t” th a t sh e w o u ld b e to rtu re d u p o n h e r r e tu rn to G uat emal a. 8 C . F. R . § 1208. 16( c) ( 2)
. A l t hough M endez
- C or onado as s er t s t hatt hi s w as e rro r, no argum ent or ci t at i on t o the r ecord or any case l aw w as off ered i n s up po rt of th is
c la im
. See Al

- N

aj arv. Mukas ey , 515 F. 3d 708, 717 ( 6t h C i r . 2008) ( ci t i ng U ni t ed Stat es v. V i l l ar eal , 491 F. 3d 605, 611 ( 6t h C i r . 2007) ) ( obs ervi ng t hat“i ti s a s et t l ed appe l l at e rul e that i s s ues advert ed to in a per funct or ym anner , unacc om pani ed bys om e ef for tatdevel oped
a rg u m e n tatio n , a r e d e e m e d w a iv e d ” ). N o t o n lyis th is c laim d e e m e d w a iv e d , b u t als o it i s cl eart hatt he B I A ’ s deni al of r el i ef unde rt he C A T i s s uppor t ed bys ubs t ant i al evi dence
. U ndert he C A T , “t or tu re” i s l i m i t ed t o “an e xt r eme for m of cruel and i nhum an t r eatm entand does noti ncl ude l es s erfor m s of cruel , i nhum an ordegr adi ng t r eatm entor puni s hm entt hatdo n o t a m ountt o t or tur e. ” 8 C . F. R . § 1208. 18( a) ( 2)
. I n det erm i ni ng whe t h e r i t i s mor e l i k e l y t h a n n o t t h a t t h e a p p l i c a n t wou l d b e t o r tu r e d i f r e tu r ned t o t he
co u n try o f rem o v al, all ev iden ce sh o u ld be co n side red , inclu d ing , “e v iden ce o f p ast t o rtu re i nfl i ct ed on the appl i cant ”; t he appl i cant ’ s abi l i t y to “rel ocat e t o a partof the countr yof
r emoval w her e he or s he i s notl i kel yt o be t or tur ed”; “gr os s , fl agr antorm as s vi ol at i ons of hum an r i ght s w i t hi n t he countr yof r emo v al”; a n d ot her“r el evanti nfor m at i on r egar di ng co n d it ion s in the co u n tryo f re m o v al. ” 8 C . F . R . § 2 0 8 . 1 6 (c)(3)(i) -(v).09-3298 9

M endez
- C or onado does notar gue that cons i der at i on of t hes e fa ct or s compel a fi ndi ng t hats he w oul d m or e l i kely than n o t b e s ubj ect ed t o t or tur e upon herr etur n t o G uat emal a. T he end of

t he ci vi l w arr epr es ent s change d countr y condi t i ons t hatm ake i tl es s l i kel yt hat
s he w oul d be t or tur ed by guerr i l l as for r es i s t i ng t hei r r ecrui t m ent eff or t s . M or eover , as t he IJ f o u n d , at th e tim e o f

th e h e a rin g th e re w a s n o e v id e n c e o f sig n if ic a n t h u m a n rig h ts vi ol at i ons byt he guerr i l l as ort hatt he t or tur e s he fe ar ed w oul d be “by or att he i ns t i gat i on of
or w i t h t he cons ent or acqui es cenc e of a publ i c off i ci al orot herper s on act i ng i n an off i ci al
ca p ac ity . ” 8 C . F . R . § 1 2 0 8 . 1 8 (a)(1). A ccordi ng l y , t he p et i t i on for r eview i s DENI ED .