Garcia Benitez v. Holder

MEMORANDUM

Alejandro Garcia Benitez, a native and citizen of Mexico, petitions for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order dismissing his appeal from an 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 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 determination of the governing statutes and regulations, Simeonov v. Ashcroft, 371 F.3d 532, 535 (9th Cir.2004). We review factual findings for substantial evidence. Zehatye v. Gonzales, 453 F.3d 1182, 1184-85 (9th Cir.2006). We deny the petition for review.

The opening brief does not challenge the agency’s finding that Garcia-Benitez’s asylum application was time-barred.

We reject Garcia-Benitez’s contention that he was persecuted on account of his membership in a protected class. See Arteaga v. Mukasey, 511 F.3d 940, 945-46 (9th Cir.2007); see also Sanchez-Trujillo v. INS, 801 F.2d 1571, 1573, 1576-77 (9th Cir.1986). Furthermore, substantial evidence supports the IJ’s…