Cruz Sanchez Villalta v. Eric Holder, Jr.

MEMORANDUM

Cruz Nelson Sanchez Villalta, a native and citizen of El Salvador, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order dismissing his appeal from the immigration judge’s (“IJ”) decision denying his application for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . We review for substantial evidence the agency’s factual findings. Zehatye v. Gonzales, 453 F.3d 1182, 1184-85 (9th Cir.2006). We deny the petition for review.

Because our review is limited to the BIA’s decision, we do not consider Sanchez Villalta’s challenges to the IJ’s opinion to the extent that the BIA did not expressly adopt it. See Rodriguez v. Holder, 683 F.3d 1164, 1169 (9th Cir.2012). Substantial evidence supports the BIA’s determination that Sanchez Villalta failed to establish a nexus between past or future harm and a protected ground. See INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 483 , 112 S.Ct. 812 , 117 L.Ed.2d 38 (1992) (an applicant “must provide some evidence of [motive], direct or circumstantial.”). Thus, Sanchez Villalta’s asylum and withholding of removal claims fail. See also Garcia-Milian…