NOT FOR PUBLICATION FILED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS NOV 21 2017
MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
CARLOS MIGUEL RAMIREZ-VALDEZ, No. 16-73518
Petitioner, Agency No. A088-967-691
v.
MEMORANDUM*
JEFFERSON B. SESSIONS III, Attorney
General,
Respondent.
On Petition for Review of an Order of the
Board of Immigration Appeals
Submitted November 15, 2017**
Before: CANBY, TROTT, and GRABER, Circuit Judges.
Carlos Miguel Ramirez-Valdez, a native and citizen of El Salvador, petitions
pro se for review from the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order
dismissing his appeal from an immigration judge’s decision denying his
application for withholding of removal and relief under the Convention Against
*
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent
except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.
**
The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision
without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).
Torture (“CAT”). Our jurisdiction is governed by 8 U.S.C. § 1252. We review for
substantial evidence the agency’s factual findings. Silaya v. Mukasey, 524 F.3d
1066, 1070 (9th Cir. 2008). We deny in part, dismiss in part, grant in part the
petition for review, and we remand.
Substantial evidence supports the agency’s denial of CAT relief because
Ramirez-Valdez failed to show it is more likely than not that he would be tortured
by or with the consent or acquiescence of the government of El Salvador. See
Silaya, 524 F.3d at 1073.
We lack jurisdiction to review Ramirez-Valdez’s contention regarding his
membership in a particular social group based on his family because it was not
raised to the agency. See Barron v. Ashcroft, 358 F.3d 674, 678 (9th Cir. 2004)
(exhaustion is mandatory and jurisdictional).
As to Ramirez-Valdez’s withholding of removal claim based on the
particular social group of small business owners, the government argues the case
should be remanded because the BIA did not have the benefit of Barajas-Romero
v. Lynch, 846 F.3d 351 (9th Cir. 2017) (holding that the “one central reason”
standard applies to asylum but not withholding of removal), when it issued its
order. Thus, we grant the petition for review and remand Ramirez-Valdez’s
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withholding of removal claim for the BIA to determine the impact, if any, of this
decision. See INS v. Ventura, 537 U.S. 12, 16-18 (2002) (per curiam).
Each party shall bear its own costs for this petition for review.
PETITION FOR REVIEW DENIED in part; DISMISSED in part;
GRANTED in part; and REMANDED.
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