Louis Jimerson v. Raymond M. Meyer

United States Court of Appeals
FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT
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No. 02-3061
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Rolando Vargas-Lopez, *
*
Petitioner, * Petition for Review of an
* Order of the Immigration
v. * and Naturalization Service.
*
John Ashcroft, * [UNPUBLISHED]
*
Respondent. *
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Submitted: August 1, 2003
Filed: August 5, 2003
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Before WOLLMAN, FAGG, and MORRIS SHEPPARD ARNOLD, Circuit Judges.
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PER CURIAM.
Guatemalan citizen Rolando Vargas-Lopez petitions for review of an order of
the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) affirming an Immigration Judge’s denial of
Vargas-Lopez's application for asylum and withholding of deportation. Vargas-
Lopez argues his application should have been granted because he established a well-
founded fear of persecution based on his membership in a social group and an
imputed political opinion. After careful review of the record, we deny the petition.
We agree with the BIA that Vargas-Lopez did not show past persecution or a
well-founded fear of future persecution, as there is no evidence the guerrilla forces

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recruited him because of his family’s history of providing support to the guerrillas,
and no evidence the guerrillas imputed any particular political opinion to Vargas-
Lopez. See INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 482-83 (1992). The denial of
asylum and withholding of removal is also supported by evidence of changed
conditions in Guatemala: guerrilla forces have disbanded and are participating in the
political process. See Regalado-Garcia v. INS, 305 F.3d 784, 788 (8th Cir. 2002);
Francois v. INS, 283 F.3d 926, 931 (8th Cir. 2002).
Accordingly, we deny the petition.
A true copy.
Attest:
CLERK, U.S. COURT OF APPEALS, EIGHTH CIRCUIT.

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