BLANCA ODILIA RAMIREZ TISTA and ABELARDO AGUILAR RAMIREZ 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NOT FOR PUBLICATION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
BLANCA ODILIA RAMIREZ TISTA and
ABELARDO AGUILAR RAMIREZ,
Petitioners,
v.
ERIC H. HOLDER, Jr., Attorney General,
Respondent.
No. 10-71566
Agency Nos. A029-322-436
A075-718-007
MEMORANDUM*
On Petition for Review of an Order of the
Board of Immigration Appeals
Submitted February 21, 2012**
Before: FERNANDEZ, McKEOWN, and BYBEE, Circuit Judges.
Blanca Odilia Ramirez Tista and her son Abelardo Aguilar Ramrirez, natives
and citizens of Guatemala, petition for review of the decision of the Board of
FILED
FEB 22 2012
MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
U .S. C OU R T OF APPE ALS

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10-71566 2
Immigration Appeals dismissing their appeal from the immigration judge’s denial
of their applications for asylum and withholding of removal.
Substantial evidence supports the agency’s determination that petitioners did
not establish past persecution based on petitioners being attacked and robbed by
gang members because they failed to allege any nexus between the harm they
suffered and one of the statutorily protected grounds. See Zetino v. Holder, 622
F.3d 1007, 1016 (9th Cir. 2010) (“[a]n 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.”); Sangha v. INS, 103 F.3d 1482, 1489 (9th Cir. 1997) (a
petitioner cannot establish a nexus to a protected ground by inference unless the
inference is clear). Accordingly, because petitioners failed to demonstrate past
persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution on account of a protected
ground, we deny the petition for review as to their asylum and withholding of
removal claims. See INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 482-83 (1992); Zehatye
v. Gonzales, 453 F.3d 1182, 1190 (9th Cir. 2006).
PETITION FOR REVIEW DENIED.

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