Court Opinion

ID: 9926464
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-24 20:01:05.675699+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:21:07.501920
License: Public Domain

NOT FOR PUBLICATION                          FILED
                    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS                        JAN 24 2024
                                                                      MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
                                                                       U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
                            FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

MARTA LILLIAN ORTIZ-                            No. 23-328
VILLALOBOS; et al.,                             Agency Nos.
                                                A201-567-005
             Petitioners,                       A201-567-006
                                                A201-567-007
 v.

MERRICK B. GARLAND, Attorney                    MEMORANDUM*
General,

             Respondent.

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

                            Submitted January 17, 2024**

Before:      S.R. THOMAS, McKEOWN, and HURWITZ, Circuit Judges.

      Marta Lillian Ortiz-Villalobos and her minor sons, natives and citizens of El

Salvador, petition pro se for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”)

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

      *
             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).
their applications for asylum, 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.

      Because petitioners do not contest the BIA’s determination that they waived

challenge to the IJ’s dispositive determination that minor petitioner D.E.G.-O. did

not establish nexus to a protected ground, we do not address it. See Lopez-Vasquez

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

      We do not disturb the agency’s determination that Ortiz-Villalobos failed to

establish she suffered harm that rises to the level of persecution. See Mendez-

Gutierrez v. Ashcroft, 340 F.3d 865, 869 n.6 (9th Cir. 2003) (threats were

insufficient to rise to the level of persecution); see also Flores Molina v. Garland,

37 F.4th 626, 633 n.2 (9th Cir. 2022) (court need not resolve whether de novo or

substantial evidence review applies, where result would be the same under either

standard). Because petitioners do not contest the BIA’s determination that they

waived challenge to the IJ’s determination that Ortiz-Villalobos did not establish

her future fear is objectively reasonable, we do not address it. See Lopez-Vasquez,

706 F.3d at 1079-80.

      Thus, petitioners’ asylum and withholding of removal claims fail.

                                         2                                    23-328
      Because petitioners do not contest the BIA’s determination that they waived

challenge to the IJ’s denial of CAT protection, we do not address it. See id.

Petitioners’ contentions as to the merits of their CAT claims are not properly

before the court because they 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                                  23-328