Gilberto Antonio Flores- Henriquez v. ERIC H. HOLDER, Jr., Attorney General

09-71106Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitOct 25, 2010

Full text

This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent*
except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.
The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision**
without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).
NOT FOR PUBLICATION
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
GILBERTO ANTONIO FLORES-
HENRIQUEZ,
Petitioner,
v.
ERIC H. HOLDER, Jr., Attorney General,
Respondent.
No. 09-71106
Agency No. A029-280-011
MEMORANDUM*
On Petition for Review of an Order of the
Board of Immigration Appeals
Submitted October 19, 2010**
Before: O’SCANNLAIN, TALLMAN, and BEA, Circuit Judges.
Gilberto Antonio Flores-Henriquez, a native and citizen of El Salvador,
petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order
dismissing his appeal from an immigration judge’s decision denying his
application for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention
FILED
OCT 25 2010
MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
U .S. C OU R T OF APPE ALS

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To the extent Flores-Henriquez contends he is a member of a social1
group distinct from the one the BIA considered and rejected, we lack jurisdiction to
consider it. See Barron v. Ashcroft, 358 F.3d 674, 678 (9th Cir. 2004).
09-71106 2
Against Torture (“CAT”). We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252. We
review for substantial evidence the agency’s factual findings, Santos-Lemus v.
Mukasey, 542 F.3d 738, 742 (9th Cir. 2008), and de novo claims of due process
violations in immigration proceedings, Sandoval-Luna v. Mukasey, 526 F.3d 1243,
1246 (9th Cir. 2008). We deny the petition for review.
Flores-Henriquez contends he suffered harm from alleged gang members
during several robberies on account of his political opinion and/or his membership
in a particular social group. Substantial evidence supports the BIA’s finding that1
the robberies were criminal in nature and thus that Flores-Henriquez failed to
establish the required nexus to a protected ground. See Gormley v. Ashcroft, 364
F.3d 1172, 1177 (9th Cir. 2004) (random criminal acts bore no nexus to a protected
ground); see also Parussimova v. Mukasey, 555 F.3d 734, 740-41 (9th Cir. 2009)
(“[t]he Real ID Act requires that a protected ground represent ‘one central reason’
for an asylum applicant’s persecution”). Accordingly, Flores-Henriquez’s asylum
and withholding of removal claims fail. See Ochoa v. Gonzales, 406 F.3d 1166,
1172 (9th Cir. 2005).

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09-71106 3
Substantial evidence also supports the BIA’s finding that Flores-Henriquez
did not establish a likelihood of torture by, at the instigation of, or with the consent
or acquiescence of the El Salvadoran government. See Villegas v. Mukasey, 523
F.3d 984, 988-89 (9th Cir. 2008). Accordingly, his CAT claim fails.
Finally, Flores-Henriquez’s due process contention that the BIA’s
streamlined order did not provide a reasoned decision fails because it is belied by
the record. See Lata v. INS, 204 F.3d 1241, 1246 (9th Cir. 2000) (requiring error
for petitioner to prevail on a due process claim).
PETITION FOR REVIEW DENIED.

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