Barillas-Mendez v. Lynch, No. 14-1444 (8th Cir. 2015)
Annotate this CaseBarillas, a citizen of Guatemala, entered the U.S. in 2006 without inspection and sought asylum and withholding of removal (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42)(A); 8 U.S.C. 1158(b)), arguing that in Guatemala, he suffered economic and physical abuse by an aunt, with whom he lived while his parents were in the U.S., and a beating by a cousin, that amounted to persecution. He said that police never learned of the abuse, as neighbors never knew about it, and that his mother arranged for him to travel to the U.S. after she visited and observed his living conditions. The IJ denied the application and ordered removal, finding that the allegations did not establish persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution, that actions by private individuals would not amount to persecution, that Barillas failed to show that the government was unwilling or unable to control them, and, alternatively that Barillas failed to show that the alleged persecution was on account of the protected grounds alleged, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. The Board affirmed. The Eighth Circuit denied a petition for relief, finding that the Board considered the relevant factors, including the age at which Barillas suffered abuse and the cumulative impact of the physical and economic abuse.
Court Description: Colloton, Author, with Bright and Shepherd, Circuit Judges] Petition for Review - Immigration. The BIA did not err in determining that petitioner had not suffered past persecution in Guatemala because the physical abuse he suffered at the hands of his relatives did not rise to the level of harm required to constitute persecution; the BIA considered the totality of the circumstances in reaching its decision.
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.