Case Explained: DE LAS CASAS CHIRINOS V. BLANCHE

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Filed: 2026-08-14 The Ninth Circuit denied the petition for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ decision denying asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT) to a Peruvian national and her minor daughter. The court held that substantial evidence supports the agency’s conclusion that the petitioner failed to establish past persecution because she did not provide evidence linking the abuse by her aunt and cousin to a protected ground, such as membership in a particular social group, rather than indiscriminate violence. Furthermore, the court found substantial evidence supporting the determination that the petitioner lacked an objectively reasonable fear of future persecution, noting the decades-long passage of time since the abuse and the continued safety of family members remaining in Peru. The court declined to address challenges regarding withholding of removal and CAT protection because the petitioner failed to exhaust administrative remedies by failing to raise those specific issues before the BIA. Consequently, the petition is denied, leaving the immigration judge’s order denying relief in place. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.