Touma

MEMORANDUM **

Touma Touma, a native and citizen of Syria, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ order dismissing his appeal from an immigration judge’s decision denying his application for withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . We review for substantial evidence factual findings, Wakkary v. Holder, 558 F.3d 1049, 1056 (9th Cir.2009), and we deny the petition for review.

In his opening brief, Touma fails to challenge the agency’s dispositive determination that his asylum claim was time-barred.

Substantial evidence supports the agency’s determination that any discrimination Touma may have experienced on account of his Christian religion did not rise to the level of past persecution. See Nagoulko v. INS, 333 F.3d 1012, 1016 (9th Cir.2003) (record did not compel finding that Ukrainian Pentecostal Christian who was “teased, bothered, discriminated against and harassed” suffered from past persecution).

In addition, substantial evidence supports the agency’s determination that Touma failed to 'establish a nexus between the persecution he fears from his creditors or the Syrian…