CARMONA ROJAS v. SESSIONS III (2018)

MEMORANDUM **

Juan Carmona-Rojas, a native and citizen of Mexico, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order dismissing his appeal from an immigration judge’s decision denying his application for withholding of removal. We have jurisdiction under 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 the petition for review.

In his opening brief, Carmona-Rojas does not challenge the agency’s determination that he failed to establish past persecution. See Corro-Barragan v. Holder, 718 F.3d 1174, 1177 n.5 (9th Cir. 2013) (failure to contest issue in opening brief resulted in waiver). Substantial evidence supports the agency’s determination that Carmona-Rojas has not established that it is more likely than not he will be persecuted in Mexico on account of his family membership. See Ayala v. Holder, 640 F.3d 1095, 1097 (9th Cir. 2011) (even if membership in a particular social group is established, an applicant must still show that “persecution was or will be on account of his membership in such group”); Zetino v. Holder, 622 F.3d 1007, 1016 (9th Cir. 2010) (an applicant’s “desire to be free from harassment by criminals motivated by theft or random violence by gang members has no nexus to a protected ground”). We reject Carmona-Rojas’s contention that the BIA failed to properly analyze his withholding of removal claim in light of recent case law. Thus, we deny the petition for review as to his withholding of removal claim.

PETITION FOR REVIEW DENIED.