Case Explained: DE LEON-DOMINGO, ET AL. 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’ order denying the petitioners’ applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). The court held that substantial evidence supports the BIA’s determination that the petitioners failed to establish a nexus between their alleged persecution and a protected ground. Specifically, the record indicates that the gang members targeted the petitioners solely for recruitment into a criminal enterprise rather than on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Because the lack of a protected ground nexus is dispositive of the asylum and withholding claims, the court declined to address other arguments. Additionally, the court rejected the petitioners’ due process claim regarding alleged judicial bias by the immigration judge, finding no evidence of deep-seated favoritism or antagonism that would preclude fair judgment, and noting that any such error would be harmless given the independent substantial evidence supporting the denial. As a result, the petition is denied, and the removal order remains in effect; the petitioners’ motion to stay removal was also denied as moot. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.