Case Name: Alan HERNANDEZ-VILLA, AKA Guadalupe Hernandez-Villa, Petitioner, v. Jefferson B. SESSIONS III, Attorney General, Respondent
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2017-06-30
Citations: 691 F. App'x 896
Docket Number: No. 15-71177
Parties: Alan HERNANDEZ-VILLA, AKA Guadalupe Hernandez-Villa, Petitioner, v. Jefferson B. SESSIONS III, Attorney General, Respondent.
Judges: Before: PAEZ, BEA, and MURGUIA, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 691
Pages: 896–897

Head Matter:
Alan HERNANDEZ-VILLA, AKA Guadalupe Hernandez-Villa, Petitioner, v. Jefferson B. SESSIONS III, Attorney General, Respondent.
No. 15-71177
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.
Submitted June 26, 2017
Filed June 30, 2017
Ian Silverberg, Esquire, Attorney, Law Offices of Ian Silverberg, Reno, NV, for Petitioner
OIL, Russell John Verby, Trial Attorney, DOJ — U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division/Office of Immigration Litigation, Washington, DC, Chief Counsel, Department of Homeland Security, San Francisco, CA, for Respondent
Before: PAEZ, BEA, and MURGUIA, Circuit Judges.
The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).

Opinion:
MEMORANDUM
Alan Hernandez-Villa, a native and citizen of Mexico, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals' ("BIA") order dismissing his appeal from an immigration judge's decision denying his application for withholding of removal. Our ju risdiction is governed by 8 U.S.C. § 1252. We review questions of law de novo, Cerezo v. Mukasey, 512 F.3d 1163, 1166 (9th Cir. 2008), except to the extent that deference is owed to the BIA's determination of the governing statutes and regulations, Simeonov v. Ashcroft, 371 F.3d 532, 535 (9th Cir. 2004). We review for substantial evidence the agency's factual findings. Zehatye v. Gonzales, 453 F.3d 1182, 1184-85 (9th Cir. 2006). We dismiss in part and deny in part the petition for review.
We lack jurisdiction to consider contentions as to social groups that Hernandez-Villa raised for the first time in the' opening brief. See Barron v. Ashcroft, 358 F.3d 674, 677-78 (9th Cir. 2004) (court lacks jurisdiction to review claims not presented to the agency).
The agency did not err in finding Hernandez-Villa failed to establish membership in a cognizable social group. See Ramirez-Munoz v. Lynch, 816 F.3d 1226, 1228-29 (9th Cir. 2016). Thus, we deny the petition as to his withholding of removal claim.
PETITION FOR REVIEW DISMISSED in part; DENIED in part.
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.