2009 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 3-6-2009 

# R amo s -V a sque z v . Atty Ge n U SA P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 07-2631

F o llow thi s and a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2009 D e c i sion s b y an author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion
" R amos -V as quez v . Atty Ge n U SA" (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1769. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/1769I M G- 3 3 NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

___________ N os . 07- 2631 & 08- 2091 ( cons ol i dat ed)

___________ ELENA RA M OS- VA SQU EZ, Pet i t i oner

v. ATTO RN EY G ENER AL O F THE UN I TED STATES

____________________________________ O n Pet i t i on forR evi ew of an O r derof the B o a rd o f Im m ig ra tio n A p p e a ls ( A gencyN o. A 70- 129- 341) I m m i gr at i on J udge: H onor abl e M i r l ande Tadal

____________________________________ Subm i tt ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

M ar ch 5, 2009 B efor e: SL O V I T E R , ST A PL E T O N A N D C O W E N , C i r cui tJ udges

( O pi ni on fi l ed : M ar ch 06, 2009 )

___________ OP I NI ON

___________ P E R C UR I AM E l ena Ram os - V as quez pe t i t i ons forr evi ew of an or derof the B oar d of Im m ig ra tio n A p p e a ls (B IA ). F o r t h e re a s o n s b e lo w , w e w ill d e n yth e p e titio n f o r r e v ie w .

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R amos- V as quez, a nat i ve of El Sal vador , ent er ed the U ni t ed St at es on N ovember 30, 2004, and w as char ged as r emovabl e forbei ng pr es enti n t he U ni t ed St at es w i t hout bei ng admi t t ed orpar ol ed. R amos- V as quez c oncede d r emovabi l i t yand appl i ed for a s y lu m , w ith h o ld in g o f

re m o v a l, a n d re lie f

u n d e r t h e C o n v e n tio n A g a in s t T o rt u re . R amos- V as quez a r gued thats he w as t ar get ed bygangs i n E l Sal vadorbeca us e s he r ece i ved moneyfr om herhus band i n t he U ni t ed St at es . A ft era hea r i ng, t he I J deni ed r el i ef a nd or der ed R amos- V as quez r emoved t o E l Sal vador . T he I J found that R amos- V as quez ha d notdemonst r at ed thatherpas texper i ence s i n E l Sal vadorr os e t o t he l evel of per s ecut i on, t hats he had a w el l - founded f earof per s ecut i on i f s he r etur ned, or t hats he w as t ar get ed as a mem berof a pa r t i cul ars oci al gr oup. T he B I A di s m i s s ed the a p p e a l. R a m o s -V a s q u e z f

ile d a p e titio n f

o r r e v ie w w h ic h w a s d o c k e te d a t N o . 0 7 -2 6 3 1 . O n J anuary30, 2008, w e gr ant ed the governm ent ’ s m ot i on t o r emand t he mat t ert o t he BI A a n d s t a y e d Ra mo s - Va s q u e z ’ s r e mo v a l p e n d i n g t h e BI A’ s d e c i s i o n o n r e ma n d . On M ar ch 21, 2008, t he B I A hel d t hatper s ons w i t h fami l ym ember s w or ki ng i n t he U ni t ed S t at es di d n ot const i tute a part i cularsoci al group and dis m i ssed the ap peal. R am osV as quez then fi l ed a t i m el ypet i t i on forr evi ew w hi ch w as docket ed atN o. 08- 2061. T he pet i t i ons have be en cons ol i dat ed. W e have j ur i s di ct i on under8 U . S. C . § 1252. W e mayr ever s e the B I A ’ s deci s i on onl yi f the r ecor d perm i t s butone r eas onabl e conc l us i on w hi ch w as nott he one r eac hed

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b yth e B o a rd . I.N .S . v . E lias -Z a c a ria s, 5 0 2 U .S . 4 7 8 , 4 8 1 (1 9 9 2 ). T o e sta b lish e lig ib ili ty foras y l um , R amos- V as quez mustdemonstr at e ei t herpas tper s ecut i on ora w el l - founded fea rof futur e per s ecut i on on acc ountof r ace , r el i gi on, nat i onal i t y , m ember s hi p i n a par t i cul ars oci al gr oup, orpol i t i cal opi ni on. See V ent e v. G onzal es , 415 F. 3d 296, 300 ( 3d C i r . 2005) . Forw i t hhol di ng of r emoval , s he mustdemonstr at e thati ti s m or e l i kel yt han nott hatherl i fe w oul d be thr eat ened i n E l Sal vadoron acc ountof thes e pr ot ect ed g r o u n d s . Ta r r a wa l l yv . As h c r o f t , 3 3 8 F . 3 d 1 8 0 , 1 8 6 ( 3 d Ci r . 2 0 0 3 ) ; 8 U. S . C. § 1231( b) ( 3) ( A ) . T o be el i gi bl e forw i t hhol di ng of r emoval undert he C onvent i on A gai ns tT or tur e, R amos- V as quez mustdemonstr at e thati ti s m or e l i kel yt han nott hats he w o u ld b e to rt u re d if

re m o v e d to E l S a lv a d o r. 8 C .F .R . § 2 0 8 .1 6 (c )( 2 ). R amos ar gues t hats he w as t ar get ed forr obberybya gang i n E l Sal vadorbas ed on h e r m e m b e rsh ip in a so c ial g ro u p c o m p rise d o f S a lv a d o ra n s w h o h a v e im m e d iate r el at i ves i n t he U ni t ed St at es . R amos- V as quez s t at ed thats he had be en r obbed at gunpoi ntbym ember s of the M ar as gang tw i ce, i n Februaryand Sept emberof 2004. T he r obber s al l egedl yt ol d hert hatt heyknew s he had moneys entt o herfr om r el at i ves i n t he U n ite d S ta te s a n d th a t s h e s h o u ld n o t n o tif yth e p o lic e , a s th e yc o u ld n o t h e lp h e r. R amos- V as quez di d notr epor tt he r obber i es buti ns t ead f l ed t o t he U ni t ed St at es . T he t w o robb eri es R am os-V asquez suffered d o n ot r i se t o the l evel of persecut i on , regar dles s of w hethers he w as t ar get ed on ac countof a pr ot ect ed gr ound. See Li e v. A s hcr oft , 396 F . 3 d 5 3 0 , 5 3 6 ( 3 d Ci r . 2 0 0 5 ) ( “ [ T ] wo i s o l a t e d c r i mi n a l a c t s , p e rp e t r a t e d b yu n k n o wn

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a s s a i l a n t s , w h i c h r e s u l t e d o n l y i n t h e t h e f to f s o m e p e r s o n a l p r o p e r t y a n d a m i n o ri n j u r y, [a re] n o t suf

ficien tl ysev ere to b e c o n side red p erse cu ti o n . ”) M or eover , t her e i s not hi ng i n t he r ecor d t o s ugges tt hatR amos- V as quez w as t ar get ed bas ed on the s our ce of herm oneyand notbas ed on the s i m pl e fa ctt hats he had m oney . R amos- V as quez ha s nots how n t hatSal vador ans w ho r ece i ve moneyfr om i m m edi at e r el at i ves i n t he U ni t ed St at es s houl d be cons i der ed a s oci al gr oup. I n E s cobar v. G onzal es , 417 F. 3d 363 ( 3d C i r . 2005) , w e r ej ect ed the pr opos ed s oci al gr oup of “H ondur an s t r eetchi l dr en. ” W e not ed t he record fail s t o sho w anyreal i st i c differ ences b et w een these chi l dren an d those o f G u a te m a la o r S a o P a u lo o r h u n d re d s o f o th e r l o c a tio n s a c ro s s th e g lo b e . I nci dent s of depr i vat i on and s uffe r i ng ar e, unfor tunat el y , uni ver s al and not confi ned t o one country . T hus a l egi t i m at e di s t i nct i on cannotbe made betw een g r o u p s o f

i m p o v e r i s h e d c h i l d r e n w h o e x i s ti n a l m o s te v e r y c o u n t r y. I d. at367. T he s ame i s t rue her e; Sal vador ans w ho r ece i ve moneyfr om r el at i ves i n t he U n it ed S tat es a re n o d iffe ren t from p eo p le aro u n d the w o rl d w h o are targe ted f o r rob b ery b e c a u s e th e yh a v e m o n e y . R am os-V asquez has no tshow n thatt he record com pels a fi nd i ng of p ast p e rs e c u tio n o r a w e ll- f

o u n d e d f e a r o f f u tu re p e rs e c u tio n o n th e b a s is o f a s o c ia l g ro u p . N orhas s he s how n t hatt he r ecor d compel s a fi ndi ng t hatherl i fe w oul d be thr eat ened or t hats he w oul d be t or tur ed i f r emoved t o E l Sal vadors o as t o ent i t l e hert o w i t hhol di ng of rem o v al or relief u n d er the C A T . T arraw all yv . A sh cro ft, 3 3 8 F . 3 d 1 8 0 , 1 8 6 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 3 ); 8 C .F .R . § 2 0 8 .1 6 (c )( 2 ).