De Paz v. Ashcroft

MEMORANDUM **

Roberto Emilio Bamaca de Paz is a 30-year-old native and citizen of Guatemala. He petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) decision affirming the Immigration Judge’s (“IJ”) denial of his application for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). We have jurisdiction pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . We review the BIA’s findings for substantial evidence, INS v. Elias-Zacari as, 502 U.S. 478, 481 , 112 S.Ct. 812 , 117 L.Ed.2d 38 (1992), and we deny the petition.

In order to qualify for asylum, a petitioner must show a causal connection between the harm suffered and a protected ground. Sangha v. INS, 103 F.3d 1482, 1486-1487 (9th Cir.1997). De Paz testified that he was targeted on account of an economic dispute with another town, and because he was a witness to a criminal act. Neither of these fall within the protected grounds listed at 8 U.S.C. § 1101 (a)(42)(A). Substantial evidence therefore supports the BIA’s finding that De Paz failed to show the harm he allegedly suffered was on account of a protected ground. See id.

Because petitioner failed to establish eligibility for asylum, he necessarily…