### F I LE D U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E LEVE NTH CI RCUI T D e c e m be r 6, 2005 T HOM AS K. KAHN C L 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- 13109 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ A ge nc y N os . A 95- 079- 665 & A 95- 079- 666 L U Z M A R I G A R C I A
- G A R C I A , A L V A R O M O N T E S T O B O N , F E L I P E M O N T E S G A R C I 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

a D 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

_________________________ ( D e c e m b e r 6, 2005) B efo re T JO F L A T , B A R K E T T an d H U L L , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: L uz M a r i G a r c i a - G a r c i a , pr oc e e di ng w i th c ouns e l , pe t i t i ons f orr e vi e w of

theGa rc ia -G arc ia

is thele a d a

pp lic ant f or her h us ba nd , A lva roMo nte s T ob on , a

nd the ir 1 son, Fe lipe Montes Garcia. F or the sakeof simplicity , and bec ause her husband’ s and child’s applications are dependant upon her s, we re fer only to Garc ia-Ga

rcia ’s application for asylum and wi thh oldingof

remov al. In her brief on a

ppeal, Ga rcia -Ga rcia does not raiseany

challeng e to the IJ ’s or B IA’s 2 denial of CA T re lie f. “ When a

n a pp e lla nt f ails to o ff e r a rgument o n a

n is su e , th at is su eis abandone d.” Sepulveda

v. United States Att’y

Gen., 401 F .3d 1226, 1228 n.2 (11 Cir. 2005). th An alien who a

rrives in or is pre sent in the United States may apply for a sylum. See 3 8 U .S. C. § 11 58 (a)( 1) . TheAttor ney General ha s discretio n togra nt a sylum if thealien me e ts theI NA ’sde finition

of a “ re fug e e .”Se e8 U .S. C. § 11 58 (b )( 1) . A“ re fug e e ”is

2 B oa r d of I m m i gr a t i on A ppe a l s ’ or de ra f f i r m i ng w i thoutopi ni on the I m m i gr a t i on Judg e’ s deni al of her app l i ca t i on for a sy l um and w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al
. A ft er 1
r e v i e w, we d e n y Ga r c i a - Ga r c i a ’ s p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w. I
. B AC KG R OU ND G ar ci a- G ar ci a, a nat i ve and ci t i ze n o f C ol om bi a, ent er ed the U ni t ed S t at es as
a vi s i t orf

orpl e a s ur e . G a r c i a - G a r c i a s ubs e que nt l y s ubm i tt e d a n appl i c a t i on f or
a s y l um , w i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l , a nd C A T r e l i e f a l l e gi ng pe r s e c ut i on on a c c ountof her pol i t i ca l and rel i gi ou s i nv ol vem enti n the com m un i ty. E ss ent i al l y, G ar ci a- 2 G ar ci a’ s app l i ca t i on as se rt ed: (1) herfa m i l y bel on ged t o the C ol om bi an L i bera l P a r ty a nd the C a thol i c c hur c h; ( 2) he rf a m i l y ha d be e n thr e a t e ne d by t e l e phone
s i nc e 1995, pur s ue d by the F A R C i n the i rve hi c l e , a nd putunde rs ur ve i l l a nc e ; ( 3) the F A R C att em pt ed t o abd ucther s on , bu tgo tanot her c hi l d d ue t o m i st aken id e n tity ; a n d ( 4 ) s h e a n d h e rf a m ily w o u ld b e r ap e d a n d k ille d if th e y r e tu rn e d to C ol om bi a. 3any pers on wh o isoutsi deany

c ountr y of su c h p e rs on ’snatio nality or , in thec a se of a pers on havingno natio nality , isoutsi deany c ountr y in which s uc h p e rs on

la st habitually resided, a

nd who is unable or unwilling to return to, a nd is unable or unwilling to avail hims elf or herself of the protec tion of, that country beca use of perse cution or a w ell-founde d fea r of persecution on account of rac e, re ligion, nationality , membership in a pa rticular soc ial group, or political opinion . . . . 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42) (A). “ The a sylum applicant ca rries theburden of

provingstatutory ‘re fug ee’ status.” D-Muhumed v. United States Att’y Gen., 388 F .3d 814, 818 (11 Cir. 2004). th 3 T he I J de ni e d G a r c i a - G a r c i a ’ s appl i c a t i on a f t e rf i ndi ng he rt e s t i m ony a nd
s uppor t i ng doc um e nt a t i on l a c ke d c r e di bi l i ty . F ore xa m pl e , the I J not e d tha t : ( 1) the pe t i t i one r s r e m a i ne d i n C ol om bi a f ora s i gni f

i c a ntpe r i od of

t i m e a f t e rthe th r e a ts c o m m e n c e d ; ( 2 ) G a r c ia
- G a r c ia a n d h e rc h ild r e n r e m a in e d in C o lo m b ia
w he n he rhus ba nd f

i r s tc a m e t o the U ni t e d S t a t e s ; ( 3) G a r c i a - G a r c i a di d notf i l e f or
as yl um du ri ng her f

i rs ttri p t o the U ni t ed S t at es , bu tra ther r eturned t o C ol om bi a; (4 ) G arci a-G arci a cam e t o th e U n i t ed S t at es fo r th e fi rstt i m e w i th h er yo u n g est
s o n , l e a v i n g h e ro l d e s ts o n b e h i n d f o rt e n mo n th s d e s p i t e h e rc l a i m th a tth e FA RC j usttri ed t o k i dn ap hi m ; (5) there w as a s i gn i fi ca ntdel ay betw ee n w hen G ar ci aG ar ci a a rr i ved i n the U ni t ed S t at es and h erappl i ca t i on for a sy l um ; (6) G ar ci aG a r c ia ’s L ib e r a l P a r ty c a r d ap p e a r e d to b e a f o r g e ry b e c a u s e o f

irr e g u la r itie s in d a te , ty p e f

a c e , a n d u n if

o r m ity o f in f o r m a tio n , a s w e ll a s th e f a c t th a t it w a s c le a r ly
a c ol or copy of a L i bera l P arty C ar d; (7) the psyc ho l og i ca l eval uat i on G ar ci aG a r c i a s ubm i tt e d appe a r e d t o be a f or ge ry be c a us e e ve n though i tr e f e r e nc e d a 2001 e va l ua t i on, i tbor e the c urr e nta ge s of the f a m i l y a nd be c a us e the da t e of4

r e f e rr a l , J une 12, 2001, w oul d ha ve be e n one da y a f t e rG a r c i a - G a r c i a ha d l e f tf or the U ni t ed S t at es ; and (8) G ar ci a- G ar ci a f ai l ed t o m ent i on thatshot s w er e f i re d at he rhom e i n he ra s y l um appl i c a t i on. B as ed o n it s a d v er se cr ed ib il ity d eter m in atio n , th e I J d en ied G ar cia- G ar cia’s appl i ca t i on for a sy l um and w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al
. T he B IA sum m ar i l y a ff i rm ed th e I J ’ s o p i n i o n , a n d Ga r c i a - Ga r c i a n o w p e t i t i o n s th i s C o u r tf o rr e v i e w. I I
. DI S C US S I ON A
. S t andard of R evi ew B ec au se th e B IA su m m ar il y a ff irm ed th e I J’s o p in io n , w e r ev iew th e I J’s
o p in io n a s it is th e f

in a l d e te r m in a tio n o f

th e a g e n c y . S e e A l N a

jja rv . A s h c r o f

t, 2 5 7 F .3 d 1 2 6 2 , 1 2 8 4 (1 1 C ir. 2 0 0 1 ). A s s tated in F o rg u e v . U n it ed S tates A tt ’y th G en. , “ [w ] e r evi ew the IJ ’ s f ac tual det erm i nat i on s und erthe subst ant i al evi dence te s t.” 4 0 1 F .3 d 1 2 8 2 , 1 2 8 6 ( 1 1 C ir . 2 0 0 5 ) ( c ita tio n s o m itte d ) . F u r th e r m o r e , th [ u ]n d e rth is h ig h ly d e f

e r e n tia l te s t, w e a f

f ir m th e I J ’s d e c i s io n if it is s u p p or t e d by r e a s ona bl e , s ubs t a nt i a l , a nd pr oba t i ve e vi de nc e on the r e c or d c ons i de r ed a s a w hol e . T hus , w e do note nga ge i n a de novo r e vi e w of f

a c tua l f i ndi ngs by the I J
. S i m i l a r l y , w e c a n n o tfi n d , or c o n s i d e r , f

a c t s n o t r a i s e d i n th e a d m i n i s tr a t i v e f o ru m , n o rc a n we r e w e ig h th e e v id e n c e f

r o m s c r a tc h
. Id
. (q u o t at i o n m ark s, ci t at i o n s, an d al t erat i o n s o m i tt ed ). T h i s C o u rth as al so
co n cl u d ed th at“ [a] s w i th o th er factual fi n d i n g s, cred i b i l i ty d et erm i n at i o n s l i k ew i se
are rev i ew ed u n d er th e su b st an t i al ev i d en ce t est . T h ati s, th e tri er o f factm u st5

det erm i ne cr edi bi l i ty, and [w e] m ay no tsubst i tut e [ ou r] j ud gm entfor thatof the IJ
w i th r e s pe c tt o c r e di bi l i ty f i ndi ngs . ” I d. ( quot a t i on m a r ks , c i t a t i ons , a nd a l t e r a t i ons
om i tt ed). B
. T h e I J ’s A d v e r s e C r e d ib ility D e te r m in a tio n R e g a r d in g G a r c ia
- G a r c ia In th is ca se , th e I J m ad e v er y s p ec ific, co g en t fin d in g s a s to G ar cia- G ar cia’s
cr ed ib il ity. F o r e x am p le, th e I J d eter m in ed th at so m e o f G ar cia- G ar cia’s do cum ent ary e vi dence w as forged. T he IJ al so re l i ed on the fa ctthatG ar ci aG ar ci a di d n otappl y f

or as yl um du ri ng her f

i rs ttri p t o the U ni t ed S t at es and t hat G a r c ia
- G a r c ia h a d le f

t h e ro ld e s t s o n in C o lu m b ia f o rte n m o n th s d e s p ite h e rc la im tha tthe F A R C j us ttr i e d t o ki dnap hi m . F ur the r m or e , the I J de t e r m i ne d tha tthe di f f e r e nc e s a nd i nc ons i s t e nc e s be tw e e n G a r c i a - G a r c i a ’ s appl i c a t i on a nd t e s t i m ony
w e r e m a te r ia l. T h is C o u r t h a s c o n c lu d e d th a t th e I J m u s t o f

f e rs p e c if ic , c o g e n t r e a s o n s f

o ra n a d v e r s e c r e d ib ility f i ndi ng. O nc e a n a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty f i ndi ng i s m a de , the bur de n i s on the appl i c a nta l i e n t o s how tha tthe I J ’ s cre di bi l i ty de c i s i on w a s not supp ort ed by spec i fi c, cogentre as on s or w as n o t b ased on subst ant i al e vi de nc e . A c r e di bi l i ty de t e rm i na t i on, l i ke a ny f a c tf i ndi ng, m a y not b e o v e r tu rn e d u n le s s th e r e c o r d c o m p e ls it. I d . a t 1 2 8 7 ( q u o ta tio n m a r k s a n d c ita tio n s o m itte d )
. G iv e n th e e v id e n c e in th e r e c o r d , it w a s c le a r ly r e a s o n a b le f o rth e I J to
c onc l ude tha tG a r c i a - G a r c i a ’ s t e s t i m ony w a s notc r e di bl e . S e e D
- M uhum e d v.6

U n ite d S ta te s A tt’y G e n ., 3 8 8 F .3 d 8 1 4 , 8 1 9 ( 1 1 C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) ( “[ T ]h e I J ’s e x tr e m e ly th de t a i l e d a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty de t e r m i na t i on a l one m a y be s uf f i c i e ntt o s uppor tthe IJ ’ s deni al of [a ] pet i t i on . ”)
. F urtherm ore, G ar ci a- G ar ci a has no tca rr i ed her b u r d e n in r e b u ttin g th e I J ’s a d v e r s e c r e d ib ility f in d in g . B ecau se w e can n o tsu b st i tu t e o u r j u d g m en tfo r th ato f th e IJ, an d b ecau se th e IJ co n si d ered al l th e rel ev an tev i d en ce i n th e reco rd i n m ak i n g i t s ad v erse
cr ed ib il ity d eter m in atio n , w e c o n clu d e th at th e I J’s d en ial o f G ar cia- G ar cia’s appl i ca t i on for a sy l um and w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al i s s up po rt ed by subst ant i al evi dence. P E T I T I ON DE NI E D.