Anselmo Ascencio-Marcelo v. William Barr ( 2020 )

NOT FOR PUBLICATION FILED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS MAR 6 2020
MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
ANSELMO ASCENCIO-MARCELO, No. 18-71505
Petitioner, Agency No. A201-240-902
v.
MEMORANDUM*
WILLIAM P. BARR, Attorney General,
Respondent.
On Petition for Review of an Order of the
Board of Immigration Appeals
Submitted March 3, 2020**
Before: MURGUIA, CHRISTEN, and BADE, Circuit Judges.
Anselmo Ascencio-Marcelo, a native and citizen of Mexico, petitions for
review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order dismissing his appeal
from an immigration judge’s decision denying his applications for asylum,
withholding of removal, relief under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”), and
cancellation of removal. Our jurisdiction is governed by 8 U.S.C. § 1252. We
*
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).
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 interpretation
of the governing statutes and regulations, Simeonov v. Ashcroft, 371 F.3d 532, 535
(9th Cir. 2004). We review for substantial evidence the agency’s factual findings.
Garcia-Milian v. Holder, 755 F.3d 1026, 1031 (9th Cir. 2014). We deny in part
and dismiss in part the petition for review.
The record does not compel the conclusion that Ascencio-Marcelo
established changed or extraordinary circumstances to excuse his untimely asylum
application. See 8 C.F.R. § 1208.4(a)(4)-(5). Thus, Ascencio-Marcelo’s asylum
claim fails.
The agency did not err in finding that Ascencio-Marcelo failed to establish
membership in a cognizable social group. See Reyes v. Lynch, 842 F.3d 1125,
1131 (9th Cir. 2016) (in order to demonstrate membership in a particular group,
“[t]he applicant must ‘establish that the group is (1) composed of members who
share a common immutable characteristic, (2) defined with particularity, and (3)
socially distinct within the society in question.’” (quoting Matter of M-E-V-G-, 26
I. & N. Dec. 227, 237 (BIA 2014))). Thus, Ascencio-Marcelo’s withholding of
removal claim fails.
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Substantial evidence supports the BIA’s denial of CAT relief because
Ascencio-Marcelo failed to show it is more likely than not he would be tortured by
or with the consent or acquiescence of the government if returned to Mexico. See
Wakkary v. Holder, 558 F.3d 1049, 1067-68 (9th Cir. 2009) (no likelihood of
torture); see also Delgado-Ortiz v. Holder, 600 F.3d 1148, 1152 (9th Cir. 2010)
(generalized evidence of violence and crime in petitioner’s home country was
insufficient to meet standard for CAT relief).
As to cancellation of removal, we lack jurisdiction to consider Ascencio-
Marcelo’s challenge to the BIA’s discretionary determination that he failed to
show exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to a qualifying relative. See 8
U.S.C. § 1252(a)(2)(B)(i); see also Arteaga-De Alvarez v. Holder, 704 F.3d 730,
735-36 (9th Cir. 2012) (court lacks jurisdiction to review merits of hardship
determination and only retains jurisdiction over constitutional claims that have
“some possible validity” (citation omitted)).
PETITION FOR REVIEW DENIED in part; DISMISSED in part.
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