FI L ED

U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S

EL EVENTH CI RCUI T

DEC 31, 2008

THOMAS K. KAH

N

CL ERK [ D O N O T P U B L I S H ]

I N T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S C O U R T O F A P P E A L S

F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C I R C U I T

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

N o

. 0 8

- 1 3 3 0 7

N o n

- A r g u m e n t C a l e n d a r

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A g e n c y N o

. A 9 8

- 5 6 5

- 0 0 2

D O N G L I N

,

P e t i t i o n e r

,

v e r s u s

U

. S

. A T T O R N 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 o n f o r R e v i e w o f a D e c i s i o n o f t h e

B o a r d o f I m m i g r a t i o n A p p e a l s

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

( D e c e m b e r 3 1

, 2 0 0 8 )

B e f o r e B I R C H

, B L A C K a n d P R Y O R

, C i r c u i t J u d g e s

.

P E R C U R I A M :D o n g L i n

, a n a t i v e a n d c i t i z e n o f C h i n a

, p e t i t i o n s f o r r e v i e w o f t h e B o a r d o f

I m m i g r a t i o n A p p e a l s ’ ( B I A ) d i s m i s s a l o f h i s a p p e a l f r o m t h e I m m i g r a t i o n J u d g e ’ s

( I J ) o r d e r o f r e m o v a l

. L i n c o n t e s t s t h e B I A ’ s a d v e r s e c r e d i b i l i t y d e t e r m i n a t i o n o n

t h e g r o u n d s h e a d e q u a t e l y e x p l a i n e d t h e a p p a r e n t d i s c r e p a n c i e s i n t h e r e c o r d

. 1

W e r e v i e w t h e B I A ’ s d e c i s i o n

, e x c e p t t o t h e e x t e n t i t e x p r e s s l y a d o p t s t h e

I J ’ s o p i n i o n

. A l N

a j j a r v

. A s h c r o

f t

, 2 5 7 F

. 3 d 1 2 6 2

, 1 2 8 4 ( 1 1 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 1 )

. W e

“ w i l l n o t r e v e r s e u n l e s s t h e r e c o r d c o m p e l s a c o n t r a r y c o n c l u s i o n

. ” D e S a n t a m a r i a

v

. U

. S

. A t t ’ y G e n

. , 5 2 5 F

. 3 d 9 9 9

, 1 0 0 6 ( 1 1 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 8 )

.

W e r e v i e w f

a c t u a l d e t e r m i n a t i o n s u n d e r t h e s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e t e s t

, w h i c h

r e q u i r e s u s t o “ v i e w t h e r e c o r d e v i d e n c e i n t h e l i g h t m o s t f a v o r a b l e t o t h e a g e n c y ’ s

d e c i s i o n a n d d r a w a l l r e a s o n a b l e i n f e r e n c e s i n f

a v o r o f t h a t d e c i s i o n

. ” A d e f e m i v

.

A s h c r o f t

, 3 8 6 F

. 3 d 1 0 2 2

, 1 0 2 6

- 2 7 ( 1 1 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 4 ) ( e n b a n c )

. W e “ m u s t a f f i r m t h e

B I A ’ s d e c i s i o n i f i t i s s u p p o r t e d b y r e a s o n a b l e

, s u b s t a n t i a l

, a n d p r o b a t i v e e v i d e n c e

o n t h e r e c o r d c o n s i d e r e d a s a w h o l e

. ” I d

. a t 1 0 2 7 ( q u o t i n g A l N a j j a r

, 2 5 7 F

. 3 d a t

1 2 8 3

- 8 4 ) ( i n t e r n a l q u o t a t i o n m a r k s o m i t t e d )

.

C r e d i b i l i t y d e t e r m i n a t i o n s a r e r e v i e w e d u n d e r t h e s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e

s t a n d a r d

. R u i

z v

. U

. S

. A t t ’ y G e n

. , 4 4 0 F

. 3 d 1 2 4 7

, 1 2 5 5 ( 1 1 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 6 )

.

L in also arg ues the I J err ed in making sever al alter native finding s that would also have 1

had the e ffe ct of de ny ing his c laims. The B I A did not addre ss those findings, instea d limit ing its

opinion to the credibility

deter mination. Bec ause w e deny L in’s petition for re view, the I J ’s

alterna tive finding s are moot.

2“ I n d i c a t i o n s o f r e l i a b l e t e s t i m o n y i n c l u d e c o n s i s t e n c y o n d i r e c t e x a m i n a t i o n

,

c o n s i s t e n c y w i t h t h e w r i t t e n a p p l i c a t i o n

, a n d t h e a b s e n c e o f e m b e l l i s h m e n t s

. ” I d

.

W e d o n o t s u b s t i t u t e o u r j u d g m e n t f o r t h a t o f t h e f

a c t f i n d e r

. I d

. O n c e t h e

f a c t f i n d e r h a s m a d e a n a d v e r s e c r e d i b i l i t y f i n d i n g

, t h e a p p l i c a n t b e a r s t h e b u r d e n

o f s h o w i n g t h e f

i n d i n g w a s n o t s u p p o r t e d b y s p e c i f i c

, c o g e n t r e a s o n s o r w a s n o t

b a s e d o n s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e

. I d

. A n a d v e r s e c r e d i b i l i t y d e t e r m i n a t i o n a l o n e c a n

b e s u f f i c i e n t t o s u p p o r t a d e n i a l o f a s y l u m

, u n l e s s t h e a p p l i c a n t s u b m i t s

c o r r o b o r a t i n g e v i d e n c e b e y o n d h i s o w n t e s t i m o n y

. I d

. ( q u o t i n g F o r

g u e v

. U

. S

.

A t t ’ y G e n

. , 4 0 1 F

. 3 d 1 2 8 2

, 1 2 8 7 ( 1 1 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 5 ) )

.

T h e R E A L I D A c t o f 2 0 0 5 s t a t e s f a c t f i n d e r s a r e t o c o n s i d e r t h e t o t a l i t y o f

t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s w h e n m a k i n g c r e d i b i l i t y d e t e r m i n a t i o n s

. 8 U

. S

. C

.

§ 1 1 5 8 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( B ) ( i i i )

. T h o s e c i r c u m s t a n c e s c a n i n c l u d e t h e w i t n e s s ’ s d e m e a n o r

,

c a n d o r

, a n d r e s p o n s i v e n e s s

, t h e i n h e r e n t p l a u s i b i l i t y o f t h e a c c o u n t

, t h e

c o n s i s t e n c y a m o n g a n d w i t h i n a l l o r a l a n d w r i t t e n s t a t e m e n t s a n d o t h e r e v i d e n c e

,

a n d a n y i n a c c u r a c i e s a n d f a l s e h o o d s i n t h e s t a t e m e n t s

. I d

. T h e s e d e t e r m i n a t i o n s

a r e t o b e m a d e “ w i t h o u t r e g a r d t o w h e t h e r a n i n c o n s i s t e n c y

, i n a c c u r a c y

, o r

f a l s e h o o d g o e s t o t h e h e a r t o f t h e a p p l i c a n t ’ s c l a i m

. ” I d

.

L i t i g a n t s a r e t o “ b e h e l d a c c o u n t a b l e f o r t h e a c t s a n d o m i s s i o n s o f t h e i r

c h o s e n c o u n s e l

. ” P i o n e e r I n v

. S e r v s

. C o

. v

. B r u n s w i c k A s s o c s

. L P

, 1 1 3 S

. C t

.

1 4 8 9

, 1 4 9 9 ( 1 9 9 3 )

.

3T h e B I A d i s c u s s e d t w o p r i n c i p a l p i e c e s o f L i n ’ s t e s t i m o n y i n u p h o l d i n g t h e

a d v e r s e c r e d i b i l i t y d e t e r m i n a t i o n : ( 1 ) t h e p o l i c e s e a r c h e d f o r L i n a t h i s p a r e n t s ’

h o m e a f t e r h e l e f t f o r t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s

, a n d ( 2 ) h e w e n t i n t o h i d i n g i n F u z h o u C i t y

f o l l o w i n g t h e b o o k s t o r e r a i d t h a t w o u l d h a v e r e v e a l e d h i s i n v o l v e m e n t i n s e l l i n g

p r o h i b i t e d F a l u n G o n g l i t e r a t u r e

. L i n h a s o f f e r e d n o e x p l a n a t i o n f

o r w h y n e i t h e r

h i s a s y l u m a p p l i c a t i o n n o r t h e d e t a i l e d l e t t e r f r o m h i s f a t h e r r e f e r r e d t o t h e a l l e g e d

s e a r c h e s o f h i s p a r e n t s ’ h o m e

. H e a l s o h a s n o t e x p l a i n e d w h y h i s a s y l u m

a p p l i c a t i o n i n d i c a t e s h e r e m a i n e d a t t h e f a m i l y h o m e i n G u a n t o u f o l l o w i n g t h e

b o o k s t o r e r a i d a n d m a k e s n o m e n t i o n o f h i d i n g i n F u z h o u C i t y

. I n a d d i t i o n

, h e

c o u l d n o t e x p l a i n w h y h e w a i t e d u n t i l b e i n g c r o s s

- e x a m i n e d a t t h e a s y l u m h e a r i n g

t o m e n t i o n F u z h o u C i t y ; h i s a r g u m e n t h e d i d n o t d i s c u s s i t o n d i r e c t e x a m i n a t i o n

b e c a u s e h i s a t t o r n e y d i d n o t e l i c i t t h e i n f o r m a t i o n f

r o m h i m i s u n a v a i l i n g

. S e e

P i o n e e r I

n v

. S e r v s

. C o

. , 1 1 3 S

. C t

. a t 1 4 9 9

. L i n h a s t h e r e f o r e f a i l e d t o c a r r y h i s 2

b u r d e n o f d e m o n s t r a t i n g t h e a d v e r s e c r e d i b i l i t y d e t e r m i n a t i o n w a s n o t b a s e d o n

s p e c i f i c

, c o g e n t r e a s o n s o r o n s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e

. T h e r e c o r d d o e s n o t c o m p e l

L in’s rema ining a

rg uments with respec t to the cre dibilit y deter mination only

rela te to 2

finding s by

the I J the B I A did not ultim ately rely upon in its opi nion. As such, we do not r eview

them. We also do not address whe ther other evidenc e in the re cord c ould have be en suff icient to

prove his cla im of being perc eived a s a F alun Gong prac titioner, as he ha s offe red no a rg ument

on this iss ue apa

rt from the sing le, g ener al statement“ [h] is testimony was . . . c orrobor ated by

backg round evide nce, ide ntity evidenc e, and c orrobor ative af fidavits.” See Se

pulveda v . U.S.

Att’y Ge n. , 401 F.3d 1226, 1228 n.2 ( 11th Cir. 2005) (per curia m).

4t h e c o n c l u s i o n L i n ’ s t e s t i m o n y w a s c r e d i b l e

. A c c o r d i n g l y

, w e d e n y L i n ’ s p e t i t i o n

f o r r e v i e w

.

P E T I T I O N D E N I E D

.

5