Court Opinion

ID: 9901828
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-22 17:00:43.756157+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:21:40.447437
License: Public Domain

NOT FOR PUBLICATION                          FILED
                    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS                       NOV 22 2023
                                                                      MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
                                                                       U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
                            FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

CLAUDIA BEATRIZ RAMOS                           No. 21-615
PALACIOS,                                       Agency No.
                                                A094-936-681
             Petitioner,

 v.                                             MEMORANDUM*

MERRICK B. GARLAND, Attorney
General,

             Respondent.

                     On Petition for Review of an Order of the
                         Board of Immigration Appeals

                           Submitted November 14, 2023**

Before:      SILVERMAN, WARDLAW, and TALLMAN, Circuit Judges.

      Claudia Beatriz Ramos Palacios, a native and citizen of El Salvador,

petitions pro se for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order

dismissing her appeal from an immigration judge’s (“IJ”) decision denying her

      *
             This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent
except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.
      **
             The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision
without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).
applications for withholding of removal and protection under the Convention

Against Torture (“CAT”). We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252. We

review for substantial evidence the agency’s factual findings. Conde Quevedo v.

Barr, 947 F.3d 1238, 1241 (9th Cir. 2020). We deny the petition for review.

      We do not address Ramos Palacios’ contentions as to her eligibility for

asylum because the BIA did not reach these issues. See Santiago-Rodriguez v.

Holder, 657 F.3d 820, 829 (9th Cir. 2011) (review limited to the grounds relied on

by the BIA).

      Substantial evidence supports the agency’s determination that Ramos

Palacios failed to establish she was or would be persecuted on account of a

protected ground. See Ayala v. Holder, 640 F.3d 1095, 1097 (9th Cir. 2011) (even

if membership in a particular social group is established, an applicant must still

show that “persecution was or will be on account of his membership in such

group”); Zetino v. Holder, 622 F.3d 1007, 1016 (9th Cir. 2010) (an applicant’s

“desire to be free from harassment by criminals motivated by theft or random

violence by gang members bears no nexus to a protected ground”). Thus, Ramos

Palacios’ withholding of removal claim fails.

      In light of this disposition, we need not reach Ramos Palacios’ contentions

regarding the cognizability of her proposed particular social groups. See Simeonov

v. Ashcroft, 371 F.3d 532, 538 (9th Cir. 2004) (courts and agencies are not required

                                         2                                    21-615
to decide issues unnecessary to the results they reach).

      Because Ramos Palacios does not contest the BIA’s determination that she

waived challenge to the IJ’s denial of her CAT claim, we do not address it. See

Lopez-Vasquez v. Holder, 706 F.3d 1072, 1079-80 (9th Cir. 2013). Ramos

Palacios’ contentions regarding her eligibility for CAT protection are not properly

before the court because she failed to raise them before the BIA. See 8 U.S.C.

§ 1252(d)(1) (exhaustion of administrative remedies required); see also Santos-

Zacaria v. Garland, 598 U.S. 411, 417-19 (2023) (section 1252(d)(1) is a non-

jurisdictional claim-processing rule).

      The temporary stay of removal remains in place until the mandate issues.

      PETITION FOR REVIEW DENIED.

                                         3                                  21-615