Evelyn Beatriz Mejia- Rodriguez v. ERIC H. HOLDER, Jr., Attorney General

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NOT FOR PUBLICATION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
EVELYN BEATRIZ MEJIA-
RODRIGUEZ,
Petitioner,
v.
ERIC H. HOLDER, Jr., Attorney General,
Respondent.
No. 08-74405
Agency No. A098-263-612
MEMORANDUM*
On Petition for Review of an Order of the
Board of Immigration Appeals
Submitted November 16, 2010**
Before: TASHIMA, BERZON, and CLIFTON, Circuit Judges.
Evelyn Beatriz Mejia-Rodriguez, a native and citizen of El Salvador,
petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order
dismissing her appeal from an immigration judge’s decision denying her
application for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention
FILED
NOV 19 2010
MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
U .S. C OU R T OF APPE ALS

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08-74405 2
Against Torture (“CAT”). We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252. We
review de novo questions of law, Cerezo v. Mukasey, 512 F.3d 1163, 1166 (9th
Cir. 2008), except to the extent that deference is owed to the BIA’s determination
of the governing statutes and regulations, Simeonov v. Ashcroft, 371 F.3d 532, 535
(9th Cir. 2004). We review factual findings for substantial evidence. Zehatye v.
Gonzales, 453 F.3d 1182, 1184-85 (9th Cir. 2006). We deny the petition for
review.
We reject petitioner’s claim that she is eligible for asylum or withholding of
removal based upon an anti-gang political opinion or her membership in a
particular social group, namely, parties who refuse to join or be coerced by
criminal gangs. See Santos-Lemus v. Mukasey, 542 F.3d 738, 745-46 (9th Cir.
2008) (rejecting as a particular social group “young men in El Salvador resisting
gang violence,” and holding that general aversion to gangs is not a political
opinion”); 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, because petitioner failed to
demonstrate she was or will be persecuted on account of a protected ground, we
deny the petition as to her asylum and withholding of removal claims. See Barrios
v. Holder, 581 F.3d 849, 856 (9th Cir. 2009).

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08-74405 3
In her opening brief, petitioner failed to challenge the BIA’s denial of her
gender or family social group claims, as well as her claim for CAT relief. See
Martinez-Serrano v. INS, 94 F.3d 1256, 1259-60 (9th Cir. 1996) (issues not
specifically raised and argued are deemed waived).
PETITION FOR REVIEW DENIED.

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