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LOPEZ AJUALIP BY LOPEZ GABRIEL v. WILKINSON (2021)

United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit.2021-02-26No. No. 20-2631

Summary

Holding. The petition for review is denied, affirming the Board of Immigration Appeals' dismissal of the appeal and the immigration judge's denials of asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture relief.

A Guatemalan citizen sought asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture on behalf of his minor son. The immigration judge denied all three forms of relief, and the Board of Immigration Appeals dismissed the appeal. On judicial review, the court upheld the immigration judge's jurisdiction over the removal proceedings and found that substantial evidence supported the agency's denial of asylum because the petitioner failed to establish either past persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution based on a legally protected ground.

The court determined that because the petitioner did not qualify for asylum, he automatically failed to meet the stricter evidentiary standard required for withholding of removal. Similarly, the court rejected the Convention Against Torture claim, which relied on the same factual assertions underlying the denied asylum and withholding claims. Accordingly, all three forms of relief were properly denied.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Immigration court jurisdiction over removal proceedings
  • Sufficiency of evidence for asylum eligibility
  • Standard of proof for withholding of removal
  • Convention Against Torture relief based on asylum claim evidence

Procedural posture

The petitioner sought judicial review of a Board of Immigration Appeals order that dismissed his appeal of an immigration judge's decision denying asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture relief.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

[Unpublished]

Guatemalan citizen and native Santos Lopez-Gabriel, on behalf of his minor son, Manuel Lopez-Ajualip (Petitioner), petitions for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) order. The BIA dismissed his appeal from an immigration judges (IJs) decision, which denied asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). We reject Petitioners challenge to the IJs jurisdiction over his removal proceedings, as it is foreclosed by this courts precedent. See Ali v. Barr, 924 F.3d 983, 985-86 (8th Cir. 2019) (jurisdiction over removal proceedings vests when charging document, such as notice to appear, is filed with immigration court). Further, we conclude that substantial evidence supports the agencys decision to deny the asylum application, because a reasonable fact finder could conclude that Petitioner failed to demonstrate past persecution or a well-founded fear of future prosecution on account of a protected ground. See Garcia-Milian v. Lynch, 825 F.3d 943, 945 (8th Cir. 2016) (standard of review). Because he did not prove eligibility for asylum, he necessarily failed to satisfy the more rigorous standard for withholding of removal, see Martin Martin v. Barr, 916 F.3d 1141, 1145 (8th Cir. 2019) (recognizing more rigorous standard of proof); and the claim for CAT relief was also properly denied, as it was based on the same evidence as the claims for asylum and withholding of removal, see Ming Ming Wijono v. Gonzales, 439 F.3d 868, 874 (8th Cir. 2006) (denial of asylum and withholding of removal dictates outcome on CAT claim when petitioner alleged same factual basis for all 3 claims). The petition for review is denied.

PER CURIAM.