Court Opinion

ID: 9372056
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-02-17 18:00:38.883186+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:16:32.441748
License: Public Domain

NOT FOR PUBLICATION                        FILED
                    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS                        FEB 17 2023
                                                                      MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
                                                                       U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
                              FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

MISAEL VILLA GUZMAN,                            No.    20-72205

                Petitioner,                     Agency No. A205-317-346

 v.
                                                MEMORANDUM*
MERRICK B. GARLAND, Attorney
General,

                Respondent.

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

                          Submitted February 15, 2023**
                              Pasadena, California

Before: WALLACE, HURWITZ, and BADE, Circuit Judges.

      Misael Villa Guzman, a native and citizen of Mexico, petitions for review of

the summary affirmance by the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) of an order

by an immigration judge (“IJ”) denying withholding of removal and protection

under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). We have jurisdiction under 8

      *
             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).
U.S.C. § 1252. Because the BIA affirmed without an opinion, we review the IJ’s

decision. Lanza v. Ashcroft, 389 F.3d 917, 919 (9th Cir. 2004). We review the IJ’s

factual findings for substantial evidence and legal questions de novo. Guerra v.

Barr, 974 F.3d 909, 911 (9th Cir. 2020). We deny the petition for review.1

1.    Substantial evidence supports the IJ’s denial of withholding of removal

based on her finding that Villa Guzman failed to prove it is more likely than not

that he would be persecuted on account of a protected ground if removed to

Mexico. See Zetino v. Holder, 622 F.3d 1007, 1016 (9th Cir. 2010) (“An alien’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.”); Delgado-Ortiz

v. Holder, 600 F.3d 1148, 1151–52 (9th Cir. 2010) (holding that an applicant must

generally prove an individualized risk of persecution to establish eligibility for

withholding). Because the lack of a nexus to a protected ground is fatal to Villa

Guzman’s withholding claim, see Riera-Riera v. Lynch, 841 F.3d 1077, 1081 (9th

Cir. 2016), we need not consider the IJ’s additional finding that Villa Guzman also

failed to establish that he is part of a cognizable particular social group.

2.    Substantial evidence supports the IJ’s denial of Villa Guzman’s CAT claim.

The record does not compel the conclusion that it is more likely than not that Villa

      1
         Villa Guzman does not challenge the agency’s denial of asylum. See
Corro-Barragan v. Holder, 718 F.3d 1174, 1177 n.5 (9th Cir. 2013) (explaining
that failure to contest issue in opening brief results in waiver).

                                           2
Guzman would be tortured if returned to Mexico. See Delgado-Ortiz, 600 F.3d at

1152; Almaghzar v. Gonzales, 457 F.3d 915, 922–23 (9th Cir. 2006) (holding that,

while country conditions evidence confirmed that torture occurred, it did not

compel a finding that petitioner was more likely than not to be tortured).

      PETITION FOR REVIEW DENIED.

                                          3