Leonel Valdez-Estrada v. Eric H. Holder Jr.

MEMORANDUM

Leonel Arnoldo Martinez-Segovia, a native and citizen of El Salvador, petitions pro se for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order summarily affirming an immigration judge’s decision denying his application for asylum and withholding of removal. 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), and 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.

We reject Martinez-Segovia’s contention that he is eligible for asylum and withholding of removal based upon an anti-gang political opinion. See Barrios v. Holder, 581 F.3d 849, 856 (9th Cir.2009); see also Santos-Lemus v. Mukasey, 542 F.3d 738, 746-47 (9th Cir.2008) (denying relief where the “available evidence suggests ... that Santos-Lemus was victimized for economic and personal reasons”). Accordingly, because Martinez-Segovia failed to demonstrate that he…