T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by9th C i r . R . 36- 3. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T S U K H D E V S I N G H , a kaM a nj a f S i ngh P et i t i on er , v. E R I C H . H O L D E R , J r ., A tto rn e yG e n e r a l, R e s p o n d e n t. N o. 07- 71641 A ge nc yN o. A 200- 101- 350 ME MOR AN DU M *

O n P e t i t i on f

orR e vi e w of

a n O r de rof

the B o a r d o f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls A r gue d a nd S ubm i tt e d O c t obe r5, 2010

P a s a d e n a , C a lif

o rn ia B efo re: P R E G E R S O N , D . W . N E L S O N an d IK U T A , C i rcu i tJu d g es. M a nj a f S i ngh ( “ S i ngh” ) , ana t i ve a nd c i t i z e n of I ndi a , pe t i t i ons f

orr e vi e w of a f i nal order of re m ov al i ss ued b y the B oard of Im m i grat i on A pp ea l s ( “ B IA ”) , de ny i ng hi s appl i c a t i ons f ora s y l um , w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l , a nd r e l i e f

unde rthe C on vent i on A gai nstT orture ( “ C A T ”) . T he Im m i grat i on Judg e ( “ IJ ”) foun d that S i ngh ha d pe rm a ne nt l yr e s e tt l e d i n A us tr i a , a nd tha tS i ngh’ s t e s t i m ony w a s not 

# FI LED DE C 16 2010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

cr edi bl e. T he B IA af

fi rm ed. F or the re as on s thatfol l ow , w e c on cl ud e thatnei ther fi nd i ng i s s up po rt ed by subst ant i al evi dence. I . F I RM RE S E T T L E ME NT F I ND I NG T he gove rnm e ntha s notpr e s e nt e d di r e c te vi de nc e tha tA us tr i ai s s ue d S i ngh

“ a f orm al offe r of s om e type of off i ci al st atus perm i tt i ng the al i en t o res i de i n that coun tryi nd ef

i ni t el y, ” nor has the go vernm entshow n “ thatdi re ctevi dence of a form al offe r i s uno bt ai nabl e. ” M ah arajv. G on zales , 45 0 F . 3d 96 1, 97 6 (9th C i r. 2006) ( e n ba nc ) . A c c or di ngl y , the gove rnm e ntha s f a i l e d t o c a rryi t s bur de n of e s tab lis h in g th a t S in g h is “f irm lyr e s e ttle d ” in A u s tr ia . 8 C .F .R . § 2 0 8 .1 5 ; see a l so M ahar aj , 54 0 F . 3d at96 7. T hu s, S i ng h i s notbarr ed fr om se eki ng as yl um un der re gu l at i on s app l i cabl e t o h i s app l i ca t i on . 8 C . F . R . § 2 08 . 13 (c )( 2)(i )( B ). I I . AD V E RS E CR E DI B I L I T Y F I ND I NG A s w e s a i d i n G u iv . I

NS , “ [w ] e do n otac ce ptbl i nd l y an IJ’ s c on cl usi on that a pet i t i on eri s notcr edi bl e. R ather, w e e xam i ne the re cord t o see w hether s ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e s upport s tha tc onc l us i on a nd de t e rm i ne w he the rthe r e a s oni ng e m pl oy e d bythe I Ji s f

a t a l l yf l a w e d. ” 280 F . 3d 1217, 1225 ( 9th C i r . 2002) (i nt ernal ci t at i on and q uo t at i on s om i tt ed). T he R E A L ID A ctre qu i re s that c r e di bi l i tyde t e rm i na t i ons “ be m a de a f t e rc ons i de r i ng ‘ the t ot a l i tyof ci rc um st ance s, and al l re l evantfa ct ors. ’ ” Sh restha v. H older , 590 F . 3d 1034, 10403

(9 th C ir. 2 0 1 0 ). C o n sid er in g th e to tali ty o f th e c ircu m stan ce s in th is ca se , th e I J’s a d v e r s e c r e d ib ilityf

in d in g is n o t s u p p o rte d b ys u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e . T h e B I A c ite d f

iv e g r o u n d s f

o ra f f irm in g th e I J ’s c r e d ib ilityd e te rm in a tio n . B e f or e c ons i de r i ng e a c h of

the s e gr ounds i n turn, w e not e tha tS i ngh’ s s e c ond he a r i ng i s tr oubl i ng. T he B I A r e m a nde d S i ngh’ s c a s e a f t e rthe f i r s the a r i ng b e c au s e th e tr a n s c r ip t h a d “a n e x c e s s iv e a m o u n t o f in d is c e rn ib le te s tim o n y ” d u e to

“ the i nt e rpr e t e ra nd the r e s ponde nt. . . s pe a ki ng s i m ul t a ne ous l y . ” O n r e m a nd, the B I A di r e c t e d the I Jt o “ pr e pa r [ e ] ac om pl e t e tr a ns c r i ptof the pr oc e e di ngs i nc l udi ng ane w he a r i ng, i f

ne c e s s a ry . ” T he I Jde c i de d t o c onduc tane w he a r i ng but , a tthe s ta rt o f th e s e c o n d h e a r in g , to ld th e p a rtie s th a t th e irta s kw a s to “r e c r e a te th e [ f ir s t] he a r i ng. ” D ur i ng que s t i oni ng, the I Jf r e que nt l yr e f

e rr e d t o S i ngh’ s t e s t i m ony f r om the fi rs tfl aw ed heari ng . T hu s, i n eff ec tand u nw i tt i ng l y, the IJi m prop er l y s hi ft ed the bur de n t o S i ngh t o disprove th e p r e v io u s f in d in g th a t S in g h w a s n o t c r e d ib le . W e th erefo re scru t i n i ze th e IJ’ s fi n d i n g s carefu l l y.

a. T h e d at e of

S i n gh ’ s h i gh s c h oolgr ad u at i on T he B I A a f

f i rm e d the I J ’ s c onc l us i on tha tS i ngh’ s t e s t i m ony r e ga r di ng the t i m el i n e l ead i n g u p t o h i s fi rstb eat i n g w as i n co n si st en tan d ch an g ed fro m th e fi rst m e r i t s he a r i ng t o the s e c ond. T he I J ’ s f oc us on the da t e of

S i ngh’ s hi gh s c hool graduat i on fa vo re d a tri vi al (and debat abl e) di sc re pancy over s ub st ant i al evi denceA tt orne yV i ne yG upt ai s f a m i l i a rt o us be c aus e he ha s be e n the s ubj e c tof 1 m o r e th a n o n e in e f

f e c tiv e a s s is ta n c e o f

c o u n s e l c la im b e f

o r e th is c o u rt. Se e, e .g ., Si ng h v. G on zales , 4 9 1 F .3 d 1 0 9 0 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 7 ) ; T ah erv. Mukasey , 2 9 5 F. A pp’ x. 178 ( 9th C i r . 2008)

. 4 t o the c ontr a ry . T hi s i s e xa c t l ythe s ortof c he rry - pi c ki ng f

orbi dde n i n Shr e s tha , 5 9 0 F .3 d a t 1 0 4 0 . S i ngh’ s w r i tt e n a nd or a l t e s t i m ony abouthi s t i m e i n c ol l e ge a nd the s ubs e que ntbe a t i ng bythe pol i c e w e r e c ons i s t e nt . T he I Ji ns t e a d f oc us e d on the d at e o f S i n g h ’ s hi

gh s c hool

graduat i on and attri bu t ed answ er s t o S i ng h w hi ch S i ngh ne ve rga ve . F ore xa m pl e , S i ngh ne ve rc l a i m e d t o ha ve gr a dua t e d hi gh s c h o o l i n 1 9 7 9 , a s th e I Js t a t e d . T h e I Js u g g e s t e d th a td a t e b a s e d o n th e I J ’ s o wn ca lcu lati o n , b u t S in g h d idn o t co n firm it . T h e I J’s m isch ar ac teriza ti o n o f S in g h ’s te s tim o n yc a n n o t s up p o rt a n a d v e r s e c r e d ib ilityf in d in g . T

ekle v . Mukasey , 533 F . 3d 10 44 , 10 53 (9th C i r. 20 08 ) ( re j ec t i ng fi nd i ng of i ncon si st entt es t i m on y w hen the IJi ncorrec t l y s um m ar i ze d the t es t i m on y) . T he IJ ’ s s kept i ci sm abou tthe t i m el i ne of S i ng h’ s e du ca t i on w as base d l ar gel y on S i ng h’ s a sy l um appl i ca t i on , w hi ch w as prepare d b y hi s a tt orney, V i ney G u p ta. H o w ev er , th e ap p li ca ti o n is clea rly u n re li ab le. F irst, p ag e f o u r o f S in g h ’s 1 appl i c a t i on s t a t e s tha the a tt e nde d hi gh s c hool f ort e n y e a r s . T hi s doe s notm a ke se nse. S ec on d, the sa m e page s t at es thatS i ng h w orked as aS t ore C l erk i n S anW e not e tha ton the s a m e da yA tt orne yV i ne yG upt apr e pa r e d thi s a s y l um 2 appl i c a t i on, he a l s o pr e pa r e d a n I - 134 A f f i da vi tof S upportf

r om S i ngh’ s c ous i n, J a gi rS i ngh, w ho l i ve d i n S a n D i e go. T a ke n t oge the r , the doc um e nt s gi ve r i s e t o a c le a rin f e r e n c e th a t th e r e w a s am ix - u p o f in f o rm a tio n . 5 D i eg o b eg i n n i n g i n F eb ru ary 2 0 0 6 . S i n g h w as i n d et en t i o n an d o th erw i se i nel i gi bl e f

or a w ork p erm i tatthatt i m e. See 8 C .F .R . § 2 0 8 .7 . 2 T hus , c ons i de r i ng the t ot a l i tyof the c i r c um s t a nc e s , the hi gh s c hool da t e on th e a s y lu m ap p lic a tio n is in s u f f ic ie n t to c a s t d o u b t o n S in g h ’s o v e r a ll c r e d ib ility . “In co n sisten cies d u e to an u n sc ru p u lo u s p re p ar er[o f a n as ylu m ap p li ca ti o n ], w ith o u t o th e re v id e n c e o f d is h o n e s ty. . . d o n o t p r o v id e as p e c if ic a n d c o g e n t b a s is for an adv er se cr edi bi l i ty f i nd i ng . ” A lv a r ez - Sa n to s v . I .N .S., 332 F . 3d 1245, 1254 (9th C i r. 20 03 ) ( i nt ernal ci t at i on s om i tt ed). M oreover, a tr iv ia l in c o n s is te n c y , if there w as an i ncon si st encyhere atal l , i s notsubst ant i al evi dence thatS i ng h w as n o t c r e d ib le . Se e Shr e s tha , 5 9 0 F .3 d a t 1 0 4 4 .

b . T h e l e t t e r f

r om S i n gh ’ s p h y s i c i an T he B I A a f

f i rm e d the I J ’ s f

i ndi ng tha tS i ngh w a s notc r e di bl e be c aus e the doc t or ’ s l e tt e rS i ngh s ubm i tt e d abouthi s 1987 i nj ur i e s di d nots pe c i f ytha tS i ngh w as beat en. T he l ett erfr om S i ng h’ s tre at i ng ph ys i ci an, ho w ever , i s not , on i t s f ac e, in c o n s is te n t w ith S in g h ’s te s tim o n y . See S in g h v . A s h c r o ft , 301 F . 3d 1109, 1112 ( 9 th Ci r . 2 0 0 2 ) ( f

i n d i n g ad o c t o r ’ s l e tt e rn o ti n c o n s i s t e n tw i th p e t i t i o n e r ’ s c l a i ms6

w h en i td i d n o td i rect l y contradi ct h i s t est i m o n y). T h e l ett er m erel y su g g est s a p o s s ib le c au s e o f

S in g h ’s in

ju r ie s . M o r e o v e r , S in g h o f f e r e d s e v e r a l p lau s ib le e xpl a na t i ons w hythe doc t orm a ynotha ve s t a t e d tha tS i ngh w a s be a t e n. T he f a ilu r e o f th e I Jto a rtic u la te r e a s o n s f o rr e je c tin g S in g h ’s e x p la n a tio n s w a s e rr o r . See So to-O larte v . H

older , 55 5 F . 3d 10 89 , 10 91 (9th C i r. 20 09 ) ( qu ot i ngKau r v . A s h c r o ft , 3 7 9 F .3 d 8 7 6 , 8 8 7 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) ( “A n a d v e r s e c r e d ib ilityf in d in g is i m pr ope rw he n a n I Jf

a i l s t o a ddr e s s ape t i t i one r ’ s e xpl a na t i on f oradi s c r e pa nc y or i ncon si st ency . ”) ). T he I Ja l s o f

aul t e d S i ngh f

ornotpr ovi di ng c orr obor a t i ng e vi de nc e aboutthe 1987 be a t i ng. B ut , a s w e s t a t e d i n A den , “ a n ap p l i c a n tc a n n o tb e tu rn e d d o wn s ol e l ybe c aus e he f

a i l s t o pr ovi de e vi de nc e c orr obor a t i ng hi s t e s t i m ony , w he r e he doe s notha ve a nd c a nnotr e a s onabl yobt a i n the c orr obor a t i on. ” 589 F . 3d a t1045; s e e Kaur , 3 7 9 F .3 d a t 8 9 0 ( f in d in g th a t d o c u m e n ts f r o m f r ie n d s a n d n e ig h b o r s in Indi a are no tea si l y avai l abl e) . E ven i f S i ng h w as abl e t o rea ch hi s f am i l y i n Ind i a, i ti s unrea sonabl e t o exp ec tthatthey w ou l d h ave been abl e t o tra ck do w n an e m e r ge nc yr oom phy s i c i a n w ho tr e a t e d hi m ne a r l yaqua rt e rc e nturya go.

c . S in g h ’ s r e t u r n t r ip s t o I n d ia T he B IA af

fi rm ed the IJ ’ s c on cl usi on thati tw as i l l og i ca l for S i ng h t o tra vel to I n d ian e a r lye v e ryy e a rf r o m 1 9 9 3 to 2 0 0 3 if

h e w a s in d a n g e r . T h e I Je rr e d inT h e d is s e n t m a k e s m u c h o f th e f a c t th a t S in g h ’s f

a m ilyr e m a in e d in I n d ia 3 d u r in g th is p e r io d . S u c h e v id e n c e is “m a n if e s tlyirr e le v a n t” u n le s s th e f a m ily m e m b e r s a r e s im ila r lys itu a te d to th e p e titio n e r . J a h e d v . I NS , 356 F . 3d 991, 1001 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) ; accord Kum ar v. G on zales , 444 F . 3d 1043, 1055 ( 9th C i r . 2006) (i rr el evantthatpet i t i on er ’ s f am i l y r em ai ned i n Ind i a unh arm ed, because they w er e no t“ si m i l ar l y s i tuat ed”) . S i ng h’ s a sy l um appl i ca t i on i s bas ed on hi s pol i t i ca l a c t i vi tyi n as e pa r a t i s tm ove m e nttha ta dvoc a t e s the c r e a t i on of a n i nde pe nde nt S i kh st at e. N othi ng i n the re cord sugg es t s thathi s w i fe and tw o sm al l sons w er e i nvol ve d i n thi s pol i t i c a l m ove m e nt . B e c aus e the yw e r e nots i m i l a r l ys i tua t e d, th ei r co n t i n u ed p resen ce i n In d i a i s n o trel ev an tt o o u r an al ysi s. 7 f a ilin g to s ta te r e a s o n s f

o rr e je c tin g S in g h ’s e x p la n a tio n o f h is o c c a s io n a l v is its to Indi a duri ng the ye ar s w hen h e l i ved i n A ustri a. S i ng h t es t i fi ed thathe st ay ed aw ayfr om Indi a f

or m ore than fi ve ye ar s a ft erthe 19 87 beat i ng . H e r i sked r e tu rn in g o n lya f

te rh is m o th e rw r o te to h im th a t s h e w a s d y in g . R e tu rn tr ip s to v is it ad y in g p a r e n t d o n o t s u p p o rt a n a d v e r s e c r e d ib ilityf in d in g . Sm olni akova v. G on zales , 422 F . 3d 1037, 1050 ( 9th C i r . 2005) . W hi l e vi s i t i ng hi s m othe r , S i ngh d is c o v e r e d th a t h e c o u ld tr a v e l to h is h o m e to w n w ith o u t b e in g h a r a s s e d b yp o lic e . S i ng h w as no tengaged i n p ol i t i ca l ac t i vi ty duri ng tho se vi si t s and cl ai m ed he w as l ul l e d i nt o af

a l s e s e ns e of

s e c ur i ty . A f

t e rr e turni ng pe rm a ne nt l yt o I ndi a , S i ngh 3 r e n e w e d h i s i n v o l v e me n tw i th th e Si k h s e p a r a t i s tmo v e me n ta n d o n c e a g a i n c a me to th e a tt en ti o n o f p o li ce . W ith in m o n th s, h e w as arre sted an d b ea ten . S in g h ’s e xpl a na t i on f

orhi s r e turn vi s i t s i s c r e di bl e , a nd the I Je rr e d i n notof f e r i ng r e a s ons f o rr e je c tin g it. Se e So to - O la r te , 555 F . 3d a t1091.8 e. S i n gh ’s m i ss tate m en ts to b ord er au th ori ti es an d th e t r a in t ic ke t s f

r o m A u s t r ia T h e B I A a f

f irm e d th e I J ’s a d v e r s e c r e d ib ilityf in d in g b e c au s e S in g h to ld bo rderoffi ce rs thathe w as an A ustri an ci t i ze n and carr i ed a tra i n t i cketthatse em ed t o co n trad i cth i s t est i m o n y ab o u th o w h e cam e t o th e U n i t ed S t at es. S in g h te s tif

ie d th a t a n a g e n t g a v e h im af a k e A u s tr ia n p a s s p o rt a n d atr a in t i c ke tf r om V i e nnat o M a dr i d t o s upporthi s a s s um e d i de nt i ty . E ve n though S i ngh p r e s e n te d f

a ls e tr av e l d o c u m e n ts to U .S . c u s to m s o f f ic ia ls , h e im m e d ia te ly i de nt i f i e d hi m s e l f

byhi s true na m e a nd s t a t e d tha the w a s s e e ki ng a s y l um w he n he w as ap p reh en d ed fo r en t eri n g th e co u n try i l l eg al l y. A s w e s t a t e d i n P a r a m a s a myv . A s h c r o ft , 29 5 F . 3d 10 47 , 10 54 (9th C i r. 2 0 0 2 ), “ th e u se o f fal se d o cu m en t s fo r trav el i s n o ta p ro p er b asi s fo r an ad v erse c r e di bi l i tyde t e rm i na t i on. ” F urthe r , w e ha ve a l w a y s r e c ogni z e d the di s t i nc t i on be tw e e n “ f

a l s e s t a t e m e nt s m a de t o e s t abl i s h the c r i t i c a l e l e m e nt s of the a s y l um cl ai m fr om fa l se st at em ent s m ade t o evade IN S offi ci al s. ” Aki n m a de v . I NS , 196 F . 3d 95 1, 95 6 (9th C i r. 19 99 ). T here fore , the fa ke pass po rtand fal se tra i n t i cket a r e n o t s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e to s u p p o rt a n a d v e r s e c r e d ib ilityf in d in g . f . T h e 2004 an d 2005 b e at i n gs F i na l l y , the B I A a f

f i rm e d the I J ’ s c onc l us i on tha tS i ngh’ s t e s t i m ony about9

the be a t i ngs i n 2004 a nd 2005 w a s “ va gue , l a c ki ng i n de t a i l , a nd w i thouta ny corr ob orat i on . ” B utthe B IA ci t es no ra t i on al e f or thi s c on cl usi on . S i ng h t es t i fi ed t o the s pe c i f

i c da t e s of

hi s a rr e s t s , the e ve nt s tha tpr e c i pi t a t e d the m , the approx i m at e num ber of peopl e arr es t ed, the l ength o f hi s det ent i on du ri ng ea ch e n c o u n te r , th e n u m b e ro f o f f ic e r s w h o e n g a g e d in th e p e r s e c u tio n , th e w a y s in w hi c h he w a s phy s i c a l l ym i s tr e a t e d, the i ns trum e nt s us e d t o be a thi m , a nd the w a rni ngs he w a s gi ve n be f or e hi s r e l e a s e . H i s t e s t i m ony w a s ne i the rva gue nor l a c ki ng i n de t a i l . I nde e d, i tw a s r a the rs pe c i f i c . S ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e doe s not the r e f or e s upporta n a dve r s e c r e di bi l i tyf i ndi ng on thi s gr ound. g . T h e e v id e n c e s u p p o r t in g S in g h ’ s c la im Im m i grat i on court s s ho ul d n ot“ se l ec t i vel y c on si der e vi dence, i gn ori ng that evi dence thatcorr ob orat es an al i en’ s c l ai m s . . . ” Shr e s tha , 590 F . 3d a t1040. T he I Ja n d B I A ig n o r e d s ig n if ic a n t e v id e n c e th a t f

a v o r e d f in d in g S in g h c r e d ib le . N e i the rthe I J ’ s northe B I A ’ s opi ni ons m e nt i on the s i gne d a nd s e a l e d l e tt e rf r om S im r a n jit S in g h M a n n , th e le a d e ro f th e S ik h s e p a r a tis t m o v e m e n t, a tte s tin g to S i ngh’ s pos i t i on i n the m ove m e nta nd ve r i f y i ng S i ngh’ s c ont i nue d r i s k of pers ec ut i on i n Ind i a. M oreover, nei ther the IJno r the B IA addres se d the coun try cond i t i on s r eport . T he IJand the B IA thu s e rr ed i n n otconsi deri ng thi s e vi dence i n s u p p o rto f

Si n g h ’ s c l a i m.10 h . C on c l u s i on I n s u m , s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e d o e s n o t s u p p o rt th e I J ’s a d v e r s e c r e d ib ility d et erm i n at i o n . “ [W ] h en each o f th e IJ’ s o r B IA ’ s p ro ffered reaso n s fo r an ad v erse cr edi bi l i ty f

i nd i ng fa i l s, w e m ustac ce pta pet i t i on er ’ s t es t i m on y a s c re di bl e. ” Kaur , 3 7 9 F .3 d a t 8 9 0 . W e there fore G R A N T the pet i t i on and R E M A N D t o the B IA for f urther p r o c e e d in g s to d e te rm in e w h e th e r , a c c e p tin g S in g h ’s te s tim o n ya s c r e d ib le , h e is e lig ib le f o rr e lie f . See Si ng h v. G on zales , 43 9 F . 3d 11 00 , 11 13 (9th C i r. 2 0 0 6 ) . PETI TI O N G R A N TED A N D R EM A N D ED