FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT Se pt e m be r 8, 2006 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL E RK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 06- 11391 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ B I A N os . A 96- 271- 426 & A 96- 271- 427 G U S T A V O A D O L F O R E S T R E P O - V E L A S Q U E Z , L U C E A L B A B E D O Y A - B E D O Y A , A L E J A N D R A R E S T R E P O - B E D O Y A , S A N T I A G O R E S T R E P O - B E D O Y A , P e titio n e r s , v ersu s U .S . A T T O RN E Y G E N E R A L , R e s p o n d e n t.

________________________ P e t i t i on f orR e vi e w of

aD e c i s i on of

the B o a r d o f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls

_________________________ ( S e p t e m b e r 8, 2006) B efo re T JO F L A T , M A R C U S an dP R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:2

G ust avo A do l fo R es tre po -V el as qu ez , a nat i ve and ci t i ze n o f C ol om bi a, pet i t i on s f

or re vi ew of a deci si on of the B oard of Im m i grat i on A pp ea l s that a f f i rm e d the de ni a l of

hi s appl i c a t i on f

ora s y l um . O the rm e m be r s of R e s tr e poV e l a s que z ’ s f

a m i l yde pe nd on hi s appl i c a t i on. R e s tr e po- V e l a s que z a r gue s tha tthe B I A e rr e d be c aus e the de c i s i on of the I m m i gr a t i on J udge i s nots upport e d by s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e . W e d e n yR e s tr e p o - V e la s q u e z ’s p e titio n . I . B AC KG RO UN D I n D e c e m be r2002 , R e s tr e po- V e l a s que z e nt e r e d the U ni t e d S t a t e s a s anoni m m i grantvi si t or. W i thi n a m on th o f hi s arr i val , R es tre po -V el as qu ez fi l ed an appl i c a t i on f

ora s y l um a nd w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l tha ta l l e ge d pe r s e c ut i on bythe R ev o l u t i o n ary A rm ed F o rces o f C o l o m b i a (F A R C ) an dth e U n i t ed S el f-D efen se F o r c e s o f

C o l o m b i a( AU C ) . R e s tr e p o - Ve l a s q u e z a l l e g e dth a tth e F AR C a n dAU C p ersecu t ed h i m b ased o n h i s act i v i t i es w i th “ P ro j ectfo r th e F u tu re, ” w h i ch i s a b r a n c h o f

th e C o n s e rv a tiv e P a rty . R e s tr e po- V e l a s que z a s s e rt e d s e ve r a l i nc i de nt s of pe r s e c ut i on. R e s tr e poV e l a s que z a l l e ge d tha ti n D e c e m be r2000, the F A R C t e l e phone d hi s bus i ne s s a nd w arned h i m t o d i sc on t i nu e hi s pol i t i ca l ac t i vi t i es . R es tre po -V el as qu ez al so al l eged th a t th e F A R C d e m a n d e d e x to rtio n m o n e yf r o m h im e v e rys ix m o n th s s ta rtin g in June 20 01 . R es tre po -V el as qu ez as se rt ed that , i n A pri l 20 01 , A U C m em bers de m a nde d tha the j oi n the i rgr oup be c aus e hi s l uc r a t i ve bus i ne s s w oul d he l p f und3

the i ror ga ni z a t i on. R e s tr e po- V e l a s que z a l s o a l l e ge d tha t , i n J a nua ry2002, the F A R C bur s ti nt o hi s of

f i c e t ol d hi m a nd hi s s e c r e t a ryt o di s c ont i nue R e s tr e poV el asq u ez’ s p art i ci p at i o n i n P ro j ectfo r th e F u tu re. R estrep o -V el asq u ez al so as se rted th at, i n Ju n e 2 0 0 2 , th e F A R C th re aten ed h is so n at R es trep o -V elas q u ez ’s p l a c e o f b u s i n e s s . R e s tr e p o - Ve l a s q u e z a l l e g e dth a t , i n S e p t e m b e r2 0 0 2 , th e AU C d e m a n d e d m o n e yf

r o m h im . R e s tr e po- V e l a s que z a l l e ge d tha ti n O c t obe r2002, he w a s ki dnappe d a nd be a t e n byagr oup of

m e n. A s R e s tr e po- V e l a s que z l e f tam e e t i ng tha ts upport e d a C ons e rva t i ve c ounc i l w om a n, agr oup of m e n thr e w R e s tr e po- V e l a s que z i nt o the b a c ko f ac a r , d r o v e h im to a n u n d e te rm in e dlo c a tio n , s tr ip p e dh im , a n db e a t h im . A cc ordi ng t o R es tre po -V el as qu ez , the m en dem anded thathe di sc on t i nu e hi s w ork for P roj ec tfor the F uture and pay m on eyt o the F A R C . T he m en l ef taf t er R es tre po -V el as qu ez offe re d them 50 m i l l i on pesos. R es tre po -V el as qu ez subm i tt ed a m edi ca l ce rt i fi ca t e f

rom hi s doct or t o sho w thathe suff er ed i nj uri es on hi s f

ac e, b a c k , le f t s id e , s h o u ld e r , r ig h t a rm , a n dr ig h t le g . T he IJdeni ed R es tre po -V el as qu ez ’ s app l i ca t i on . T he IJfoun d that R e s tr e po- V e l a s que z f

a i l e d t o e s t abl i s h ane xus be tw e e n hi s pol i t i c a l a c t i vi t i e s a nd the e xt ort i ona t e a c t i vi t i e s of the F A R C a nd A U C . T he I Js t a t e d tha t“ a l l the do cum ent s s ub m i tt ed by [R es tre po -V el as qu ez ] concerni ng the al l eged threa t s r ef er t o a th reato f ex t o rt i o n an d n o n e o f th ese d o cu m en t s m en t i o n an y cri m es ag ai n st4

[hi m ] or death threa t s or ki dn appi ng s on acc ou ntof [hi s] po l i t i ca l . . . ac t i vi t i es . ” T he I Ja l s o f

ound tha tR e s tr e po- V e l a s que z ’ s pol i t i c a l a c t i vi t i e s w i th P r oj e c tf orthe F uture w er e “ sc ant ” and he fa i l ed t o exp l ai n w hy the F A R C di d n otpers ec ut e other m em bers of P roj ec tfor the F uture. T he IJconcl ud ed thatext ort i on , no tpo l i t i ca l op i ni on , m ot i vat ed the i nci dent s R es tre po -V el as qu ez al l eged. T he B IA af fi rm ed the de c i s i on of

the I Jw i thoutopi ni on.

I I . STA N D A R D O F R EVI EW W e r evi ew the deci si on of the B IA , exce ptt o the ext entthatthe B IA e xpr e s s l ya dopt s the de c i s i on of the I J . A l N a

jj a rv. A s hc r of

t , 257 F . 3d 1262, 1284 ( 11th C i r . 2001) . “ F i ndi ngs of f a c tm a de by. . . the [ I m m i gr a t i on J udge ] m a ybe re vers ed by thi s C ou rton l y w hen the re cord com pel s are vers al ; the m er e f ac tthat the r e c or d m a ys upportac ontr a ryc onc l us i on i s note nough t o j us t i f yar e ve r s a l of th e a d m in is tr a tiv e f

in d in g s .” T a n v . U .S . A tt’yG e n ., 4 4 6 F .3 d1 3 6 9 , 1 3 7 4 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 6 ) ( a lte r a tio n s in o r ig in a l) ( in te rn a l c ita tio n s o m itte d ) . I I I . DI S CUS S I ON T o ap p lyf

o ra s y lu m , an a lie n m u s t b e a“r e f u g e e .” 8 U .S .C . § 1 1 5 8 ( b ) ( 1 ) . A “ r e f uge e ” i s a nype r s on w ho i s unabl e t o r e turn t o hi s hom e c ountry“ be c aus e of [pas t ] pers ec ut i on or a w el l -f ou nd ed fe arof [f

uture] pers ec ut i on on ac coun tof ra ce , r e lig io n , n a tio n a lity , m e m b e r s h ip in ap a rtic u la rs o c ia l g r o u p , o rp o litic a l o p in io n .” I d . § 1 1 0 1 ( a ) ( 4 2 ) ( A ) ; 8 C .F .R . § 2 0 8 .1 3 ( b ) . “[ P ]e r s e c u tio n is a n e x tr e m e c o n c e p t,5

re qu i ri ng m ore than a few i sol at ed i nci dent s of verbal hara ss m entor i nt i m i dat i on . ” S ep u l v ed a v . U . S . A tt ’ y G en . , 4 0 1 F . 3 d1 2 2 6 , 1 2 3 1 (1 1 th C i r. 2 0 0 4 ). T o est ab l i sh pers ec ut i on base d o n p ol i t i ca l op i ni on , the appl i cantm ustpres ent“ spec i fi c, de t a i l e d f

a c t s s how i ng agood r e a s on t o f e a rtha the ors he w i l l be s i ngl e d outf or pers ec ut i on on ac coun tof such an op i ni on . ” I d. at12 31 . R es tre po -V el as qu ez fa i l ed t o est abl i sh thathe suff er ed pers ec ut i on “ on ac coun tof . . . [hi s] po l i t i ca l o p in io n .” 8 U .S .C . § 1 1 0 1 ( a ) ( 4 2 ) ( A ) . R es tre po -V el as qu ez ar gu es thatthe ext ort i on threa t s w er e m ot i vat ed i n p art b yh is a c tiv itie s w ith P r o je c t f o rth e F u tu r e , b u t th e r e a r e tw o p r o b le m s w ith th is a r gum e nt . F i r s t , e xc e ptf orthe ki dnappi ng a nd a s s aul ti n O c t obe r2002, the in c id e n ts in w h ic h R e s tr e p o - V e la s q u e z a lle g e dth a t r e f e r e n c e s w e r e m a d e to h is pol i t i c a l a c t i vi t i e s di d notr i s e t o the l e ve l of pe r s e c ut i on be c aus e the yw e r e no

“ m ore than a few i sol at ed i nci dent s of verbal hara ss m entof i nt i m i dat i on . ” S e pul ve da , 401 F . 3d a t1231. S e c ond, a l though the ki dnappi ng a nd be a t i ng i nc i de nti n O c t obe r2002 r i s e s t o the l e ve l of pe r s e c ut i on, the r e c or d doe s not c o m p e l th e c o n c lu s io n th a t th is in c id e n t w a s m o tiv a te db yh is p o litic a l a c tiv itie s . S e e T a n, 446 F . 3d a t1374. R e s tr e po- V e l a s que z t e s t i f i e d tha tthe m e n l e f

ta f t e rhe of f e r e d the m m one y , a nd the I Jf ound tha t“ none of

the doc um e nt s m e nt i on a ny cr i m es agai nst[hi m ] . . . on ac coun tof [hi s] po l i t i ca l or soci al ac t i vi t i es . ” A l though R e s tr e po- V e l a s que z c ont e nds tha tthe I Je rr one ous l yr e l i e d on the6

abse nce of evi dence thatother part i ci pant s i n P roj ec tfor the F uture w er e pers ec ut ed, the re cord do es no tcom pel the concl usi on thatR es tre po -V el as qu ez w a s h a r a s s e d o n th e b a s is o f h is p o litic a l o p in io n . S u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e s till su p p o rt s th e co n cl u si o n o f th e IJ th atth e ex t o rt i o n th reat s w ere crim i n al act i v i t i es, n o t b a s e d o n R e s tr e p o - V e la s q u e z ’s p o litic a l a c tiv itie s . R es tre po -V el as qu ez al so fa i l ed t o est abl i sh “ a w el l -f ou nd ed fe arof [f

uture] p e r s e c u tio n . . . o n a c c o u n t o f . . . [ h is ] p o litic a l o p in io n .” 8 U .S .C . § 1101( a ) ( 42) ( A ) . T he r e c or d doe s notc om pe l the c onc l us i on tha tR e s tr e poV e l a s que z w oul d be pe r s e c ut e d ba s e d upon hi s pol i t i c a l a c t i vi t i e s . E vi de nc e of R e s tr e p o - V e la s q u e z ’s p o litic a l p a rtic ip a tio n w a s “s c a n t,” a n dm o s t o f th e in c id e n ts thatR es tre po -V el as qu ez al l eged w er e r el at ed t o ext ort i on , no thi s pol i t i ca l a c t i vi t i e s . S ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e s upport s the c onc l us i on of the I Jtha tR e s tr e poV e la s q u e z f

a ile dto e s tab lis h aw e ll- f o u n d e df e a ro f f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n . I V . CONCL US I ON R estrep o -V el asq u ez’ s p et i t i o n fo r rev i ew i s DE NI E D.