Velasquez

Velasquez v. Gonzales

Good Law
204 F. App'x 692
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitDecember 8, 2006No. 05-71964California323 words

Opinion

Lead Opinion

MEMORANDUM **

Rodolfo Velasquez, a native and citizen of Guatemala, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order dismissing his appeal from an immigration judge’s decision denying his applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). To the extent we have jurisdiction it is conferred by 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . Reviewing legal conclusions de novo and factual findings for substantial evidence, Ochoa v. Gonzales, 406 F.3d 1166, 1169 (9th Cir.2005), we dismiss in part and deny in part the petition for review.

We lack jurisdiction to review Velasquez’s contention that he is eligible for asylum and withholding of removal based on a theory of hazardous political neutrality because Velasquez failed to raise that argument before the BIA and thereby failed to exhaust his administrative remedies. See Barron v. Ashcroft, 358 F.3d 674, 678 (9th Cir.2004).

Velasquez also contends he was threatened and attacked by guerrillas on account of a political opinion they imputed to him based on his refusal to join them. We agree with the agency’s conclusion that the record contains no evidence that the guerrillas imputed…

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