FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT Jul y 19, 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. 05- 16613 N on -A rgum entC al endar

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B I A N o s . A 79- 496- 194 A 79- 496- 196 DI E GO F E RNA ND O B OR R E R O, A D E L E M E L A I N A L O S A N O , 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

_________________________ ( Ju l y 19, 2006) B efo re B A R K E T T , M A R C U S an dW IL S O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:2

D i e go F e rna ndo B orr e r o a nd hi s w i f e , A i de e M i l e naL oz a no, na t i ve s a nd ci t i ze ns of C ol om bi a, se ek re vi ew of the B oard of Im m i grat i on A pp ea l ’ s ( “ B IA ”) de c i s i on a f

f i rm i ng w i thoutopi ni on the I m m i gr a t i on J udge ’ s ( “ I J ” ) or de rf i ndi ng the m r e m ovabl e a nd de ny i ng the i rappl 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 unde rthe I m m i gr a t i on a nd N a t i ona l i tyA c t( “ I N A ” ) , a nd r e l i e f unde rthe U ni t e d N a t i ons C onve nt i on A ga i ns tT ortur e a nd O the rC rue l , I nhum a n a nd D e gr a di ng T r e a tm e ntorP uni s hm e nt( “ C A T ” ) , I N A §§ 208, 241, 8 U . S . C . §§ 1158, 1 2 3 1 ; 8 C .F .R . § 2 0 8 .1 6 ( c ) . T he pe t i t i one r s a r gue tha tthe I Je rr e d i n f i ndi ng tha tB orr e r o w a s not pers ec ut ed on ac coun tof hi s pol i t i ca l op i ni on because he w as perc ei ved t o h ave a p o litic a l o p in io n a s ar e s u lt o f h is u p p e rc la s s p r o f

e s s io n a l s ta tu s , h is r e f

u s a l to jo in the gue rr i l l agr oups , a nd hi s s upportof ac api t a l i s ta nd t e c hnol ogi c a l s ol ut i on t o the pr obl e m s of

C ol um bi a n c a tt l e f

a rm e r s . F urthe r , he a r gue s tha the be l onge d t o a p a rtic u la rs o c ia l g r o u p o f v e te r in a r ia n s w h o h e lp e ds m a ll f arm e r s im p r o v e th e ir l i ves by i ncre as i ng the fe rt i l i ty of thei r her ds, and g uerr i l l as pers ec ut ed hi m on that b a s is . A . A s yl um W he n the B I A i s s ue s ade c i s i on, w e r e vi e w onl ytha tde c i s i on, e xc e ptt o the e xt e nttha tthe B I A e xpr e s s l ya dopt s the I J ’ s de c i s i on. A l N a jj a rv. A s hc r of

t , 257 F . 3d 12 62 , 12 84 (11th C i r. 20 01 ). T he IJ ’ s f ac tual det erm i nat i on s are re vi ew ed3

u n d e rth e s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e te s t, a n dw e s h o u ld“a f f irm th e [ I J 's] d e c is io n if it is supp ort ed by re as on abl e, subst ant i al , and p robat i ve evi dence on the re cord c ons i de r e d a s aw hol e . ” F or gue v. U ni t e d S t a t e s A tt orne yG e n. , 401 F . 3d 1282, 12 86 (11th C i r. 20 05 ) ( i nt ernal qu ot at i on s and ci t at i on s om i tt ed). T he subst ant i al e vi de nc e t e s ti s “ de f

e r e nt i a l ” a nd doe s nota l l ow “ r e - w e i gh[ i ng] the e vi de nc e f r om s c r a tc h .” M a z a r ie g o s v . U .S . A tt’yG e n ., 2 4 1 F .3 d1 3 2 0 , 1 3 2 3 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 1 ) . “T o r e v e r s e th e I J ’s f

a c t f in d in g s , w e m u s t f

in dth a t th e r e c o r dn o t o n lys u p p o rts r e v e r s a l, b u t c o m p e ls it.” M e n d o z av . U .S . A tt’yG e n ., 3 2 7 F .3 d1 2 8 3 , 1 2 8 7 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 3 ) ( c o n s id e r in g w ith h o ld in g - o f - r e m o v a l c la im ) . T h e f

a c t th a t e v id e n c e in th e r e c o r d m a ya ls o s u p p o rt ac o n c lu s io n c o n tr a ryto th e a d m in is tr a tiv e f in d in g s is note nough t o j us t i f

yar e ve r s a l . S i l vav. U . S . A tt ’ yG e n. , 448 F . 3d 1229, 1236 (11th C i r. 20 06 ), ci t i ng A defe m i v. A shcr oft , 38 6 F . 3d 10 22 , 10 27 (11th C i r. 2 0 0 4 ) , c e rt. d e n ie d , 1 2 5 S . C t. 2 2 4 5 ( 2 0 0 5 ) . S u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e s u p p o rts th e I J ’s f in d in g th a t B o rr e r o a n dh is w if e d id no tsuff erpastpers ec ut i on because a l tho ug h B orre ro w orked i n an areacontrol l ed by gu erri l l a group s f

or al m osttw o years , he w as never physi ca l l y harm ed. B orre ro t es t i fi ed thatthe gu erri l l as cl osel y m on i t ored hi m , st op ped h i m and h i s w i fe atroad b lo c k s , a n d th r e a te n e d h im in p e r s o n a n do v e rth e te le p h o n e , b u t th e s e in c id e n ts d idn o t rise to th e lev el o f p er se cu ti o n . S u b stan ti al ev id en ce also su p p o rts th e I J’s c onc l us i on tha tB orr e r o f a i l e d t o e s t abl i s h ane xus be tw e e n the f e a r e d ha rm a nd a4

p r o te c te d g r o u n d . T h e e v id e n c e is c o n s is te n t w ith af in d in g th a t th e g u e rr illa g r o u p s h a r a s s e d B o rr e r o d u e to h is r e f u s a l to c o o p e r a te w ith th e m r a th e rth a n h is a c tua l ori m put e d pol i t i c a l opi ni on. M or e ove r , B orr e r o ha s notm e thi s bur de n of show i ng thathe w as t ar get ed on ac coun tof hi s m em bers hi p i n a part i cul arsoci al g r o u p . H e c la im s th a t h is s o c ia l g r o u p c o n s is te do f v e te r in a r ia n s w h o w a n te dto im p r o v e th e liv e s o f

s m a ll f a rm e r s b yp r o v id in g e d u c a tio n a n dte c h n ic a l a s s is ta n c e . H ow e ve r , he ha s note s t abl i s he d tha tthi s a s s oc i a t i on c om pr i s e s ac ogni z abl e gr oup o rth a t it s h a r e s a n im m u tab le c h a r a c te r is tic . A s B orr e r o ha s note s t abl i s he d pa s tpe r s e c ut i on, he i s note nt i t l e d t o a pres um pt i on of a w el l -f ou nd ed fe arof future pers ec ut i on . S ub st ant i al evi dence s upport s the I J ’ s c onc l us i on tha tB orr e r o doe s notha ve aw e l l - f ounde d f e a rof f utur e pe r s e c ut i on be c aus e ( 1) he w a s ne ve rphy s i c a l l yha rm e d i n C ol om bi a ; ( 2) he re turned t o C ol om bi a a ft erhe ent er ed the U ni t ed S t at es ; (3) he w as no tharm ed w he n he r e turne d t o C ol om bi a ; a nd ( 4) hi s pa r e nt s a nd br othe rl i ve i n B ogot aa nd ha ve notbe e n ha rm e d. B . W i t h h ol d i n g of R e m oval T o qua l i f yf orw i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l unde rthe I N A , a n a l i e n m us ts how tha thi s orhe rl i f

e orf r e e dom w oul d be thr e a t e ne d on a c c ountof r a c e , r e l i gi on, n a t i o n a l i ty , m e m b e r s h i p i n ap a rt i c u l a rs o c i a l g r o u p , o rp o l i t i c a l o p i n i o n . I NA § 241( b) ( 3) , 8 U . S . C . § 1231( b) ( 3) . T he e vi de nt i a rybur de n f orw i thhol di ng of5

r e m ova l i s gr e a t e rtha n tha ti m pos e d f ora s y l um , a c c or di ngl y , i f a n a l i e n ha s not m e tthe w e l l - f

ounde d f e a rs t a nda r d f

ora s y l um , he ge ne r a l l yc a nnotm e e tthe s t a nda r d f

orw i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l . A l N a

jj a r , 257 F . 3d a t1292- 93. T he pe t i t i one r s f

a i l e d t o c a rrythe i rbur de n of e s t abl i s hi ng pa s tpe r s e c ut i on oraw e l l - f

ounde d f e a rof f utur e pe r s e c ut i on, w hi c h pr e c l ude s the m f r om be i ng gr a nt e d a s y l um . T he I Jpr ope r l yf ound tha tthe pe t i t i one r s l i ke w i s e c oul d not s a t i s f ythe gr e a t e r“ m or e - l i ke l y - tha n- not ” bur de n appl i c abl e t o r e que s t s f or w ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l. C . T r an s c r i p t E r r os T he pe t i t i one r s a l s o a r gue tha tthe i rc a s e s houl d be r e m a nde d be c aus e the a s y lu m h e a r in g tr a n s c r ip t c o n ta in s m a n yin d is c e rn ib le w o r d s , a n d , th e r e f o r e , it is pr e j udi c i a l . T he pe t i t i one r s di d nota l l e ge i n the i rnot i c e of appe a l orbr i e f

t o the B IA thatthe as yl um hear i ng transcr i ptw as of such po or qu al i ty thati tprej ud i ce d th e m . T h e ya r g u e f

o rth e f ir s t tim e o n ap p e a l th a t th e a s y lu m h e a r in g tr a n s c r ip t is prej ud i ci al . T here fore , they have fa i l ed t o exh austthei r a dm i ni stra t i ve re m edi es w i th r e s pe c tt o thi s c l a i m , a nd w e l a c k j ur i s di c t i on t o r e vi e w i t . “ T he e xhaus t i on re qu i re m entappl i cabl e t o i m m i grat i on ca se s i s f ou nd i n 8 U . S . C . § 1 25 2(d)(1), w hi c h pr ovi de s tha t‘ [ a ] c ourtm a yr e vi e w af i na l or de rof

r e m ova l onl yi f

. . . the al i en has e xh aust ed al l adm i ni stra t i ve re m edi es avai l abl e t o the al i en as of ri gh t . ’ ” S un dar v. IN S , 32 8 F . 3d 13 20 , 13 23 (11th C i r. 20 03 ). W e have “ i nt erpret ed that6

re qu i re m entt o b e j uri sdi ct i on al , so w e l ac k j uri sdi ct i on t o con si der c l ai m s that h a v e n o t b e e n r a is e d b e f o r e th e B I A .” I d . U p o n rev i ew o f th e reco rd o n ap p eal an dco n si d erat i o n o f th e p art i es’ b ri efs, s e di s c e rn no r e ve r s i bl e e rr or . A c c or di ngl y , w e de nype t i t i one r s ’ pe t i t i on f or r e v i e w. P E T I T I ON DE NI E D.