Court Opinion

ID: 9942194
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-20 18:01:30.620846+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:47:48.976733
License: Public Domain

NOT FOR PUBLICATION                           FILED
                    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS                        FEB 20 2024
                                                                      MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
                                                                       U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
                           FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

LEONEL SANCHEZ LAGUNAS,                         No. 21-216
                                                Agency No.
             Petitioner,                        A070-014-806
 v.
                                                MEMORANDUM*
MERRICK B. GARLAND, Attorney
General,

             Respondent.

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

                           Submitted February 15, 2024**
                             San Francisco, California

Before: MILLER, BADE, and VANDYKE, Circuit Judges.

      Leonel Sanchez Lagunas, a native and citizen of Mexico, petitions for

review of a decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals dismissing his appeal

from an immigration judge’s decision denying his requests for adjustment of

      *
             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).
status, a waiver of inadmissibility under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(h), asylum, withholding

of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). We have

jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252, and we dismiss the petition in part and deny it

in part.

       1. An alien convicted of a “particularly serious crime” is categorically

ineligible for asylum relief. 8 U.S.C. § 1158(b)(2)(A)(ii); 8 U.S.C.

§ 1231(b)(3)(B)(ii); see Flores-Vega v. Barr, 932 F.3d 878, 884 (9th Cir. 2019).

“For purposes of asylum, an aggravated felony is per se a particularly serious

crime.” Flores-Vega, 932 F.3d at 884. The term “aggravated felony” includes “a

crime of violence . . . for which the term of imprisonment [is] at least one year.”

8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(F). Applying the categorical approach set out in Taylor v.

United States, 495 U.S. 575, 602 (1990), “[w]e review de novo whether a

conviction qualifies as a crime of violence.” Flores-Vega, 932 F.3d at 882.

       In 2017, Sanchez was convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, in

violation of California Penal Code section 245(b), and was sentenced to six years

of imprisonment. The Board determined that his conviction was for an aggravated

felony and a crime of violence.

       We have repeatedly held that assault under California Penal Code section

245(a)(2) is “categorically a ‘crime of violence’ and an ‘aggravated felony’ for

immigration purposes.” United States v. Heron-Salinas, 566 F.3d 898, 899 (9th

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Cir. 2009) (per curiam); see United States v. Grajeda, 581 F.3d 1186, 1196–97

(9th Cir. 2009) (recognizing our holding in Heron-Salinas and applying it to

section 245(a)(1)). The elements of section 245(b) are the same as those of section

245(a)(2), with a single exception: Section 245(a)(2) applies to assault with a

firearm of any kind, whereas section 245(b) applies to assault with a semiautomatic

firearm. A fortiori, assault under section 245(b) is also a crime of violence. See

People v. Martinez, 145 Cal. Rptr. 3d 141, 142 (Cal. Ct. App. 2012) (“A

semiautomatic firearm assault cannot be committed without also committing a

firearm assault. Therefore, firearm assault is a lesser included offense of a

semiautomatic firearm assault.”).

      Sanchez notes that section 245 was amended in 2011 and argues that our

prior analysis of the statute is no longer valid. But the amendment on which

Sanchez relies did not alter the language of either section 245(a)(2) or section

245(b). See United States v. Vasquez-Gonzalez, 901 F.3d 1060, 1068 n.8 (9th Cir.

2018) (noting that the 2011 amendment only moved language from section

245(a)(1) into “a newly-created subsection (a)(4)”). The 2011 amendment

therefore does not undermine our prior holdings.

      2. An alien convicted of a “particularly serious crime” is barred from

withholding of removal. 8 U.S.C. § 1158(b)(2)(A)(ii); 8 U.S.C.

§ 1231(b)(3)(B)(ii); 8 C.F.R. § 1208.16(d)(2); see Flores-Vega, 932 F.3d at 884.

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We “review for abuse of discretion the [Board’s] conclusion that an offense

constitutes a particularly serious crime.” Avendano-Hernandez v. Lynch, 800 F.3d

1072, 1077 (9th Cir. 2015).

      “All aggravated felonies are categorically particularly serious crimes for the

purposes of asylum, but only aggravated felonies for which the alien was sentenced

to at least five years’ imprisonment are categorically particularly serious for the

purposes of withholding of removal.” Blandino-Medina v. Holder, 712 F.3d 1338,

1346 (9th Cir. 2013). Because Sanchez was sentenced to six years of

imprisonment, he is ineligible for withholding of removal. See Mairena v. Barr,

917 F.3d 1119, 1124 (9th Cir. 2019).

      3. Substantial evidence supports the Board’s denial of Sanchez’s application

for CAT relief. “Under the substantial evidence standard, [we] uphold[] the

[Board’s] determination unless the evidence in the record compels a contrary

conclusion.” Arteaga v. Mukasey, 511 F.3d 940, 944 (9th Cir. 2007).

      To receive deferral of removal under the CAT, Sanchez must establish that

“it is more likely than not that he . . . would be tortured if removed.” 8 C.F.R.

§ 1208.16(c)(2); see 8 C.F.R. § 1208.17(a); Benedicto v. Garland, 12 F.4th 1049,

1063 (9th Cir. 2021). But Sanchez’s claim rests entirely on speculative future

harms, including possible extortion and mistreatment at the hands of gangs, cartels,

and local police. The record lacks any “particularized threat of torture.” Lanza v.

                                         4                                    21-216
Ashcroft, 389 F.3d 917, 936 (9th Cir. 2004) (quoting Castellano-Chacon v. INS,

341 F.3d 533, 551 (6th Cir. 2003)); see Delgado-Ortiz v. Holder, 600 F.3d 1148,

1152 (9th Cir. 2010). Therefore, the record does not compel us to conclude that

Sanchez is more likely than not to be tortured if removed to Mexico.

      4. At his discretion, the Attorney General may waive the inadmissibility of

certain criminal aliens if “it is established to the satisfaction of the Attorney

General that the alien’s denial of admission would result in extreme hardship to the

United States citizen or lawfully resident spouse, parent, son, or daughter of such

alien.” 8 U.S.C. § 1182(h)(1)(B). We lack jurisdiction to review a discretionary

denial of a waiver under section 1182(h) “unless the petition raises a cognizable

legal or constitutional question concerning that determination.” Mejia v. Gonzales,

499 F.3d 991, 999 (9th Cir. 2007); see 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(2)(B)(i). Despite

Sanchez’s assertions, there are no such questions here. Applying the normal

discretionary standard, the Board thoroughly examined the favorable equities and

“announce[d] its decision in terms sufficient to enable a reviewing court to

perceive that it has heard and thought and not merely reacted.” Najmabadi v.

Holder, 597 F.3d 983, 990 (9th Cir. 2010) (quoting Lopez v. Ashcroft, 366 F.3d

799, 807 n.6 (9th Cir. 2004)). We therefore dismiss the petition in relevant part.

      The temporary stay of removal will remain in place until issuance of the

mandate, and the motion to stay removal (Dkt. No. 3) is otherwise denied.

                                          5                                     21-216
PETITION DISMISSED in part and DENIED in part.

                          6                      21-216