Opinion ID: 4390527
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Flight from Mexico to Seek Asylum

Text: Gonzalez Ruano and Catalina immediately packed suitcases and fled with their two sons early the next morning. They sought help from Gonzalez Ruano’s sister in a nearby city. On the way to her house, the family noticed a truck was following them, but Gonzalez Ruano was able to evade the truck by abruptly leaving the highway. His sister allowed them to stay in another house she owned. The next day, Gonzalez Ruano began reaching out to different attorneys for help in reporting the crimes CJNG committed against him and his family. Each attorney he contacted refused to take his case or told him that the cartel would not be prosecuted or would face only small monetary fines. Finally, one attorney helped him contact a local prosecutor he trusted in Jalisco. The prosecutor told Gonzalez Ruano that the CJNG had infiltrated the law enforcement agencies in the state. He also told Gonzalez Ruano that he could not guarantee his safety if he stayed in Mexico and that his only option was to flee. Gonzalez Ruano acted quickly on the prosecutor’s advice. He sought expedited passports for himself and his family. Two days after they received their passports, Gonzalez Ruano and his family arrived in Tijuana. Once they reached the United States border, a family member took custody of the boys while Gonzalez Ruano and Catalina presented themselves for inspection. Gonzalez Ruano petitioned for asylum No. 18-2337 9 under 8 U.S.C. § 1158(b)(1)(A), withholding of removal under 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(3)(A), and protection under the Convention Against Torture, 8 C.F.R. §§ 1208.16–1208.18. In February 2017, Catalina received a call from Rivera, of the CJNG. He told her he was surprised that she and her family had reached the United States without his knowledge, and he warned her that he would be notified if they returned to Mexico. Family members of Gonzalez Ruano and Catalina have also reported that since they fled, strangers have been looking for Gonzalez Ruano. Within five months after their flight, his sister was approached approximately twenty times by young men she does not know, all asking where he was. At his asylum hearing, Gonzalez Ruano introduced evidence to corroborate his story and establish his credibility, including aﬃdavits from family members and news articles. He also called Dr. Everard Meade as an expert to testify about the CJNG generally and how country conditions in Mexico affected Gonzalez Ruano and his family. Dr. Meade explained that because of how CJNG has infiltrated Mexican agencies at multiple levels, the CJNG would quickly learn of Gonzalez Ruano’s return to Mexico if he were removed from the United States. The immigration judge found that Gonzalez Ruano’s tes- timony and evidence were consistent and credible. The judge granted relief under the Convention Against Torture, finding it was more likely than not that if Gonzalez Ruano were returned to Mexico, the CJNG would locate him and torture him again. (The government has not appealed the relief under the Convention Against Torture, but that relief does not open a path to U.S. citizenship for Gonzalez Ruano.) 10 No. 18-2337 Immigration law distinguishes between torture and persecution. The judge found that Gonzalez Ruano’s “experiences in Mexico—the past threats, the kidnapping, and witnessing two murders—do constitute past torture,” and that he had a credible fear of future torture if he were returned to Mexico. Thus the grant of relief under the Convention. Nevertheless, the immigration judge denied his application for asylum. The judge reasoned that Gonzalez Ruano did not demonstrate a nexus between persecution and his membership in a particular social group. That meant he could not establish a wellfounded fear of “persecution” as required by 8 U.S.C. § 1158(b)(1)(B)(i). Instead, the judge found that “the record supports the conclusion that [Rivera]. . . desired Catalina and personal animosity against the respondent for refusing to follow [Rivera’s] directives motivated CJNG’s action against [Gonzalez Ruano], which cannot support a nexus finding.” Gonzalez Ruano appealed, and the Board of Immigration Appeals aﬃrmed. He now petitions for review, arguing that the immigration judge erred in denying asylum. He argues that he demonstrated a nexus between the past persecution (and feared future persecution) and his membership in a cognizable “particular social group.” We agree.