Chitay-Cante v. Bondi
Chitay-Cante v. Bondi
Opinion
NOT FOR PUBLICATION FILED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS MAY 19 2025 MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
EDUARDO CHITAY-CANTE et al., No. 23-4323 Agency Nos. Petitioners, A220-151-808 A220-151-809 v. A220-151-810 A220-151-811 PAMELA BONDI, Attorney General,
Respondent. MEMORANDUM*
On Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration Appeals
Submitted May 15, 2025** Pasadena, California
Before: MURGUIA, Chief Judge, and R. NELSON and SUNG, Circuit Judges.
Eduardo Chitay-Cante, a native and citizen of Guatemala, applied for
asylum, withholding of removal, and protection 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).1 An immigration judge (IJ) denied the applications, and the Board
of Immigration Appeals (BIA) dismissed Chitay-Cante’s administrative appeal.
Chitay-Cante petitions for review. We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252,
and we deny the petition.
1. Substantial evidence supports the agency’s conclusion that Chitay-Cante
failed to establish the requisite nexus between his membership in a particular social
group and any harm he suffered or fears in Guatemala. See 8 U.S.C. §§ 1158
Cante’s testimony that his new motorcycle was stolen because he had just
purchased it, and his statement that threatening phone calls were an attempt to
extort money, substantially support the conclusion that the past harm he faced was
motivated solely by general criminal and economic motives rather than any
protected characteristic of Chitay-Cante or his family members. See Rodriguez-
Zuniga v. Garland, 69 F.4th 1012, 1019 (9th Cir. 2023); Zetino v. Holder, 622 F.3d 1007, 1016 (9th Cir. 2010).
2. Substantial evidence also supports the agency’s conclusion that Chitay-
Cante failed to demonstrate that the Guatemalan government consented to or
1 Chitay-Cante is the lead petitioner. His wife and two children are rider petitioners. Because Chitay-Cante’s family members’ claims are dependent on his—and for the sake of simplicity—we refer simply to Chitay-Cante. Cf. Conde Quevedo v. Barr, 947 F.3d 1238, 1240 n.1 (9th Cir. 2020).
2 23-4323 acquiesced in any harm that he faced or might face. See 8 C.F.R. § 1208.18
complaints and stated they would investigate the theft of his motorcycle. This
provides substantial evidence for the conclusion that the Guatemalan government
did not, and would not in the future, acquiesce to criminal activities threatening
Chitay-Cante. No record evidence—including the fact that the police failed to
apprehend the robbers—compels a contrary conclusion. See Garcia-Milian v.
Holder, 755 F.3d 1026, 1035 (9th Cir. 2014); Andrade-Garcia v. Lynch, 828 F.3d 829, 836 (9th Cir. 2016).
PETITION DENIED.
3 23-4323
Reference
- Status
- Unpublished