Ester Noemi Vasquez-Contreras v. Todd Blanche, Acting Attorney General
April 30, 2026·25-1558·Per Curiam·By Raj Patel
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit denied a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals order. The court found that substantial evidence supported the immigration judge's ruling that the petitioner failed to establish a nexus between protected grounds and alleged persecution.
Ester Noemi Vasquez-Contreras, a native and citizen of El Salvador, petitioned for review of an order dismissing her appeal from an immigration judge’s decision denying her applications for asylum and withholding of removal.
The court’s reasoning
The court reviewed the administrative record and concluded that the evidence did not compel a ruling contrary to the agency’s factual findings. The court held that substantial evidence supported the finding that the petitioner failed to establish the requisite nexus between the claimed protected ground and the asserted past or feared future persecution. The court also noted that the petitioner forfeited review of the denial of relief under the Convention Against Torture.
What it means going forward
The petition for review is denied, leaving the Board of Immigration Appeals’ order denying asylum and withholding of removal in place.
