Case Explained: MONZON CARRILLO DE CRUZ, ET AL. V. BLANCHE

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Filed: 2026-06-25 The ninth-circuit denied the petition for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ order dismissing an appeal from an Immigration Judge’s decision denying applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). The court held that substantial evidence supports the denial of asylum and withholding of removal because the petitioners’ receipt of two vague, anonymous threats without confrontation or other mistreatment is insufficient to establish past persecution. Additionally, the court found that the petitioners forfeited arguments regarding objective well-founded fear of future persecution and internal relocation by failing to make dedicated arguments in their opening brief. Regarding CAT relief, the court ruled that because the past harm did not amount to persecution, it necessarily could not rise to the higher standard of torture required under the “more likely than not” standard; furthermore, country condition evidence reflecting general risks to the population did not demonstrate a particularized risk of torture for the petitioners. As a practical consequence, the petition is denied and the temporary stay of removal entered pursuant to General Order 6.4(c) is lifted effective immediately. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.