NOT RECOMMENDED FOR PUBLICATION
File Name: 11a0798n.06 FILED
No. 10-3063 Nov 30, 2011
LEONARD GREEN, Clerk
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT
Gonzalo C. Perez-Morales, )
)
Petitioner, )
)
v. ) ON PETITION FOR REVIEW OF AN
) OR DER OF THE BOARD OF
Eric H. Holder, Jr., United States Attorney ) IMMIGRATION APPEALS
General , )
)
Respondent. )
)
)
BEFORE: MERRITT, BOGGS, and CLAY, Circuit Judges.
MERRITT, Circuit Judge. Petitioner Gonzalo Perez-Morales seeks review of a decision
of the Board of Immigration Appeals dated December 31, 2009. In that decision, the Board
dismissed Perez-Morales’s appeal and affirmed the decision of the Immigration Judge denying his
applications for asylum and withholding of removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8
U.S.C. §§ 1158(a)(1), 1231(b)(3)(A) (1965),1 and protection under the United Nations Convention
Against Torture.2 Perez-Morales seeks review on the following grounds: (1) an incomplete
1
Perez-Morales’ applications for asylum and withholding of removal are governed by the REAL ID Act’s
amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act. See REAL ID Act of 2005, Div. B. of Pub. L. No. 109-13, 119
Stat. 231.
2
See United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment, 1465 U.N.T.S. 85, G.A. Res. 39/46, 39th Sess., U.N. GAOR Supp. No. 51, U.N. Doc. A/39/51, at 197,
(Dec. 10, 1984).
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transcript of his removal proceeding denied him due process of law by preventing him from
establishing that an extraordinary circumstance excused his delay in filing for asylum; (2) the
Immigration Judge and the Board both erred in finding that he failed to qualify for withholding of
removal because it is more likely than not that he will be persecuted if he returns to Guatemala; and
(3) the Immigration Judge and the Board also erred in finding that he was ineligible for protection
under the Convention Against Torture because it is more likely than not that he will be tortured if
he returns to Guatemala. Although we are sympathetic to Perez-Morales’ plight, his arguments are
unconvincing. Accordingly, we affirm the Board’s decision.
I. Background
Perez-Morales illegally entered the United States on February 14, 1997.3 On October 8,
2005, the Department of Homeland Security served Perez-Morales with a Notice to Appear in
immigration court to contest the charge that he was removable pursuant to the Immigration and
Nationality Act as an alien present in the United States who had been neither admitted nor paroled.
See 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(6)(A)(i). On March 1, 2007, Perez-Morales jointly filed applications for
asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture. He thereafter
testified in support of his applications on March 19, 2008. The Immigration Judge denied all three.
With respect to his application for asylum, the judge determined that he had failed to show either a
changed or extraordinary circumstance that would excuse his delay in filing outside the one-year
window. See 8 C.F.R. §§ 1208.4(a)(2), (4), (5) (2011). The judge denied on the merits his
3
Perez-Morales initially indicated that he had entered the United States on October 1, 2000, but thereafter
admitted to telling the Customs and Border Agent the wrong date when he was arrested. (Petitioner’s Brief at 4.)
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applications for withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against Torture. On
appeal, the Board affirmed the Immigration Judge’s decision. This petition followed.
II. Discussion
1. Standard of Review
Because the Board issued a separate opinion rather than summarily affirming the Immigration
Judge’s decision, we review the Board’s decision as final. See Khalili v. Holder, 557 F.3d 429, 435
(6th Cir. 2009). However, we also examine the Immigration Judge’s decision to the extent that the
Board adopted its reasoning. See id.; Patel v. Gonzales, 470 F.3d 216, 218 (6th Cir. 2006). We
review questions of law de novo and any factual determinations under a substantial evidence
standard. See Khalili, 557 F.3d at 435.
2. Denial of Due Process
Perez-Morales asserts that an incomplete transcript of his removal proceeding violated his
due process rights by denying him meaningful appellate review. We have jurisdiction to review the
Board’s findings relevant to this issue because Perez-Morales raises a constitutional claim. See
Almuhtaseb v. Gonzales, 453 F.3d 743, 748 (6th Cir. 2006). Specifically, he contends that a large
number of “indiscernible notations” precluded him from arguing that the ineffective assistance of
his prior counsel constituted an “extraordinary circumstance” justifying his considerable delay in
filing for asylum. (Petitioner’s Brief at 14.) According to Perez-Morales, a complete transcript
would have allowed him to meet the requirements for asserting such a claim. See Matter of Lozada,
19 I&N Dec. 637, 639 (BIA 1988). This conclusion misconstrues the conditions set forth in Lozada.
Even if a complete transcript had aided it, his claim on appeal would nonetheless have been
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procedurally deficient. He did not submit to the Board an affidavit detailing his agreement with his
former attorney or show that the attorney had been informed of the allegations and given an
opportunity to respond. See Lazar v. Gonzales, 500 F.3d 469, 476 (6th Cir. 2006).
Moreover, we agree with the conclusion of both the Immigration Judge and the Board that
Perez-Morales has failed to show that omissions in the transcript prejudiced him. Due process in
this context requires a petitioner to establish that “a complete and accurate transcript would have
changed the outcome of the case.” Garza-Moreno v. Gonzales, 489 F.3d 239, 242 (6th Cir. 2007).
Such was not the case here. Even conceding that Perez-Morales detrimentally relied on the advice
of an attorney who told him, in 1997, that he was ineligible to apply for political asylum – and that
this constituted an “extraordinary circumstance” justifying an initial postponement in filing – it
cannot explain why Perez-Morales waited another ten years before making his asylum claim. We
agree with the Immigration Judge and the Board that this was an unreasonably long delay. See Fang
Huang v. Mukasey, 523 F.3d 640, 651 (6th Cir. 2006) (affirming denial of petitioner’s asylum
application and reasoning that petitioner’s eighteen-month delay in filing her asylum application was
unreasonable).
3. Denial of Application for Withholding of Removal
Perez-Morales next contends that both the Immigration Judge and the Board improperly
denied his application for withholding of removal. Withholding of removal is mandatory if an alien
establishes that his “life or freedom will be threatened in the proposed country of removal on account
of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.” See INS
v. Stevic, 467 U.S. 407, 411 (1984) (citing 8 U.S.C. § 1253(h)(1)). Perez-Morales asserts that gangs
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in Guatemala target young men for the purpose of recruiting them. He also asserts that gangs harass
and perpetrate crimes against Christians and other “church going people.” (Petitioner’s Brief at 20.)
Thus, Perez-Morales’ status as “a young Christian male of Guatemala,” renders him doubly
vulnerable to gang violence. Id. Accepting his statements as true and his fears as legitimate, we
nonetheless agree with the Immigration Judge and the Board that this social group lacks the requisite
particularity and social visibility. See Al-Ghorbani v. Holder, 585 F.3d 980, 994 (6th Cir. 2009).
Membership in such a group would encompass a collection of individuals too amorphous and varied
to share a “common, immutable characteristic.” Bonilla-Morales v. Holder, 607 F.3d 1132, 1137
(6th Cir. 2010) (quoting Castellano-Chacon v. I.N.S., 341 F.3d 533, 546 (6th Cir. 2003)). Moreover,
the gang members who harassed Perez-Morales before he left Guatemala did so for monetary gain,
not because Perez-Morales was a young male or a Christian. He has therefore failed to establish a
nexus between his prior harm and any statutorily protected ground.4 Accordingly, substantial
evidence supported the denial of his application for removal.
4. Denial of Convention Against Torture Protection
Finally, Perez-Morales argues that the Immigration Judge and the Board erred in finding that
he is not entitled to protection under the Convention Against Torture. He believes that the
4
Perez-Morales also asserts for the first time on petition to this court that he and the other members of his
immediate family constitute a protected social group that gangs have targeted in the past and will more likely than not
target in the future. W hile Perez-Morales and his family were the victims of harassment and theft, “random criminal
act[s]” – especially in a country struggling with pervasive criminal lawlessness – are insufficient for a finding of
persecution. Lumaj v. Gonzales, 462 F.3d 574, 577-78 (6th Cir. 2006). Perez-Morales has not shown that gang members
targeted him and his family on the basis of a protected status. More fundamentally, Perez-Morales failed to raise this
claim before the Board and has thus deprived this court of jurisdiction to review it. See Ramani v. Ashcroft, 378 F.3d
554, 558 (6th Cir. 2004) (reasoning that “to the extent that [petitioner] has failed to exhaust his administrative remedies,
this court does not have jurisdiction to address those claims”).
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Guatemalan government is corrupt and unable or unwilling to protect him and others from gang
violence. Thus, according to Perez-Morales, his return to Guatemala will create a strong likelihood
that gang members will torture him as a result of governmental acquiescence. Acquiescence by a
public official triggers Convention Against Torture protection if “the public official, prior to the
activity constituting torture, ha[s] awareness of such activity and thereafter breach[es] his or her legal
responsibility to intervene to prevent such activity.” 8 C.F.R. §1208.18(a)(7). In Guatemala,
however, the government has taken steps to address the country’s gang problem. We agree with the
Board that difficulty in curbing gang violence is hardly commensurate with tacit consent or willful
blindness to that violence. The Immigration Judge and the Board appropriately denied Perez-
Morales’s Convention Against Torture application.
In light of the foregoing, the decision of the Board is AFFIRMED.
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CLAY, Circuit Judge, concurring. I join the majority’s opinion to deny Perez-Morales’s
petition. In doing so, as observed by the majority, we review questions of law de novo and any
factual determinations under a substantial evidence standard. Beyond the discussion of the standard
of review and statement of facts set forth by the majority, I write separately regarding certain other
legal and factual bases for the denial of the petition.
I. Due Process
Due process “demands a reasonably accurate and complete transcript to allow for meaningful
appellate review and to allow the alien to mount a challenge to the proceedings conducted before the
IJ.” Shewchun v. Holder, 658 F.3d 557, 569 (6th Cir. 2011) (citing Sterkaj v. Gonzales, 439 F.3d
273, 279 (6th Cir. 2006)). However, an “error in the record or transcript does not by itself present
a due process violation.” Sterkaj, 439 F.3d 273 at 279 n2.
The government is obligated to prepare a “reasonably accurate and complete record of the
removal hearing.” Sterkaj, 439 F.3d at 279; 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(b)(4). Upon review of the IJ
transcript, Perez-Morales is correct to point out the 149 “indiscernable” notations in the transcript;
however, Perez-Morales “bears the heavy burden of proving prejudice in order to show a due process
violation in an immigration hearing.” Shewchun 658 F.3d at 569 (citing Garza-Moreno v. Gonzales,
489 F.3d 239, 241–42 (6th Cir. 2007)). A review of the record shows that Perez-Morales has not
met his burden to prove how the incomplete transcript caused actual prejudice that would change the
outcome of the case. While the “indiscernable” notations are a distraction, one may reasonably infer
the responses provided by Perez-Morales.
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Perez-Morales alleges that a complete transcript would support his ineffective assistance of
counsel claim. However, upon review of the transcript, this claim appears to be without merit. It
is possible to fully comprehend the details of the meeting with the attorney, and there is no evidence
to support Perez Morales’s ineffective assistance of counsel claim. Further, it is possible to infer that
a meeting took place with an attorney in Detroit but Perez-Morales was unable to recall the name
of the attorney. The attorney purportedly told Perez-Morales that he could not file for asylum, but
no further explanation was provided. A review of the transcript indicates that Perez-Morales did not
describe in detail how his personal experiences in Guatemala support his application for asylum.
II. Withholding of Removal
Perez-Morales also claims that he is eligible for withholding of removal because he
experienced persecution on account of his membership in a social group, which he defines as young,
Christian males susceptible to recruitment into the Guatemalan gangs. Perez-Morales submits
country reports, news articles, and other country specific information published by the State
Department about the presence of gangs in Guatemala as well as the problem of police corruption
as evidence that he would be persecuted on the basis of his membership in a social group. He argues
that these articles demonstrate a well-founded fear of future persecution and that it is unsafe for him
to return to his native country. Perez-Morales also references reports that discuss how gangs
specifically target and attack Christians.
We review an IJ’s interpretation of country conditions for whether the IJ reached a
“reasonable conclusion.” Kouljinski v. Keisler, 505 F.3d 534, 544 (6th Cir. 2007). The applicant
is required to identify “evidence that compels the opposite conclusion” before we disturb the IJ’s
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treatment of country condition reports. Id. at 544. In the instant case, the IJ properly considered the
country specific information and concluded that the Guatemalan government substantially reduced
fears of persecution by controlling the gang problem. The country reports and news articles are
unpersuasive as it is unclear how these reports support Perez Morales’s persecution claim.
Additionally, the letter submitted by Perez-Morale’s sister merely discusses a fear of future crime
but it does not identify specific instances of gang violence upon the family to support his claim for
asylum. These reports neither corroborate Perez-Morales’s fear of gang activity nor compel a finding
that its more likely than not that Perez-Morales would face persecution if he returned to Guatemala.
III. Convention Against Torture
Under the CAT, removal must be withheld if it is “more likely than not” that [the applicant]
would be tortured if removed to the proposed country of removal. 8 C.F.R. § 1208. 16(c)(2). In
order to succeed on a withholding of removal claim, an applicant “must show a ‘clear probability’
of persecution.” Dugboe v. Holder, 644 F.3d 462, 472 (6th Cir. 2011) (citing Liti v. Gonzales, 411
F. App’x 631, 640–41(6th Cir. 2005)).
If the BIA adopts the IJ’s decision, as in the present case, denying Perez-Morales’s
withholding of removal claims under the INA and the CAT, we review “the IJ’s decision directly to
determine whether the decision of the BIA should be upheld on appeal.” Amir v. Gonzales, 467 F.3d
921, 924 (6th Cir. 2006). We must uphold the IJ’s denial of withholding under the CAT unless it
is “manifestly contrary to the law.” Ali v. Reno, 237 F.3d 591, 596 (6th Cir. 2001).
Perez-Morales contends that the IJ erred in its decision to deny his claim for protection under
CAT. First, he states that the IJ ignored evidence of government corruption, which he claims
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directly impacts the country’s ability to reduce gang-related criminal activity. Second, Perez-
Morales states that the BIA incorrectly concluded that the government’s involvement to reduce gang
activity removes any duty to protect him from harm. Perez-Morales argues that the government’s
awareness actually “bolsters [his] claim of acquiescence by the Guatemalan government.” Even if
the government has taken preventative measures to reduce gang activity, Perez-Morales still did not
meet his burden of showing that the Guatemalan government willfully accepts the gang involvement
in criminal activity. Perez-Morales “must do more than show that the officials are aware of the
activity but are powerless to stop it. He must demonstrate that . . . officials are willfully accepting
of the guerillas’ torturous activities.” Amir, 467, F.3d at 927 (internal citation omitted). In the
present case, the government’s commitment to reduce gang violence is not an indication that it
acquiesces or is accepting gang violence, but rather is evidence of the government taking action to
prevent future criminal activity in the country.
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