FILED U.S. COURT OF AP PEALS ELEV ENTC IR C U IT APR6 , 2006 THOMAS K. KAHN CLERK

Honora ble J ane A . Restsani, Chief J udg e, United States Court of International Trade , * sitti ngby desig nation. [ 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

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B I A N o s . A 70- 693- 916 A 70- 693- 917 T E R E S A G A R R I D O , P e titio n e r , v ersu 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 on forR 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

_________________________ ( A p r i l 6, 2006) B efore T JO F L A T and H U L L , C i rc ui tJudg es , and R E S T A N I , Judg e. * P E R C U R I A M: T e r e s aL i l i a naG a r r i do ( “ M r s . G a r r i do” ) pe t i t i ons forr e vi e w of the B oa r d ofGar rido’s husband and son also seek a sylum. However , their claims are derivative of 1 Ga rrido ’s c laim. Sendero L

uminoso, or the Shining Path, is a Maoist/Communist guerilla org anization, 2 fo un de d a ro un d 1 98 0, whic h opp os e s th ec ur rent P eru vian g ov ernment. TheShi nin gPath c ommits terrorist

ac ts ag ains t bo th g ov ernment o ff ic ials andc ivi lians . 2 I m m i gr a t i on A ppe a l s ’ or de rde ny i ng he ra ppl i c a t i on fora s y l um a nd w i thhol di ng of
r e m ova l . A f

t e rr e vi e w a nd or a l a r gum e nt , w e de ny he rpe t i t i on. M rs . G arri do and Jam i e A l fonso G arri do , al on g w i th thei r s on , Jonn athan J a m i e G a r r i do ( “ the G a r r i dos ” ) , a r e na t i ve s a nd c i t i z e ns of P e r u. T he G a r r i dos

1
c onc e de tha tthe y a r e r e m ova bl e a s c ha r ge d i n the N ot i c e s t o A ppe a rforr e m a i ni ng i n the U ni t e d S t a t e s l onge rtha n pe r m i tt e d. H ow e ve r , the y a ppl i e d fora s y l um a nd
w i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l pr i m a r i l y ba s e d on a l l e ge d pe r s e c ut i on by the S hi ni ng P a th. 2 B e for e the I m m i gr a t i on J udge ( “ I J ” ) , the G a r r i dos pr e s e nt e d t e s t i m oni a l a nd doc um e nt a r y e vi de nc e pur por t i ng t o s how tha tthe y ha d s uf fe r e d pe r s e c ut i on a tthe h an d s o f th e S h i n i n g P ath b et w een Jan u ary, 1 9 8 3 an d Ju l y, 1 9 8 5 . S p eci fi cal l y, M rs . G arri do cl ai m ed thatbet w ee n tho se dat es , the G arri do s: (1) r ec ei ved t hree threa t eni ng no t es fr om m em bers of the S hi ni ng P ath i ncl ud i ng sl og ans s uch as

“ l o n g l i v e th e a r m e d s tr u g g l e ” a n d “ d e a th t o th e i m p e r i a l i s t s ” ; ( 2 ) r e c e i v e d t wo thr e a t e ni ng phone c a l l s f r om the S hi ni ng P a th; ( 3) ha d the i rc a rva nda l i z e d a nd p ai n t ed w i th S h i n i n g P ath sl o g an s an d th en co m p l et el y d estro yed i n t w o i n ci d en t s;3

a nd ( 4) on t w o oc c a s i ons , w e r e bur gl a r i z e d a tgunpoi ntby m a s ke d m e m be r s of the S hi ni ng P a th w ho s t ol e thous a nds of dol l a r s , thr e a t e ne d t o ki l l the m , a nd on one
o ccasi o n setfi re t o fab ri c u sed i n th ei r b u si n ess. A f t e rr e vi e w i ng the t e s t i m oni a l a nd doc um e nt a r y e vi de nc e pr e s e nt e d by pe t i t i one ri n s uppor tof

he rc l a i m , the I J e xpl i c i t l y found tha tne i the rthe G a r r i dos
northe i rdoc um e nt a r y e vi de nc e w e r e c r e di bl e . T he I J s t a t e d, fore xa m pl e , tha t“ the C ou rtdo es no tfi nd M r. and M rs . G arri do t o b e c re di bl e. ” T he IJ al so foun d that

“ [ t ] he r e w e r e s e ve r a l s e r i ous be l i e va bi l i t y pr obl e m s w i th the s e c a s e s , ” a nd
e xpl a i ne d he ra dve r s e c r e di bi l i t y f i ndi ng i n gr e a tde t a i l . F ore xa m pl e , the I J s t a t e d: T he C our tf

i nds R e s ponde nt s l a c k c r e di bi l i t y ba s e d on the fo llo w in g r e a s o n s . F ir s t, le a d R e s p o n d e n t e n te r e d th e U n ite d S ta te s in 19 85 , and yetdi d n otappl y for as yl um un t i l N ov em ber 12, 19 93 , ov er e ig h t y e a r s la te r . . . . R e s ponde nta l s o fa i l e d t o i ni t i a l l y di s c l os e i nfor m a t i on c onc e r ni ng he rhus ba nd’ s l a s te ntr a nc e i nt o the U ni t e d S t a t e s . R e s ponde nt subm i tt ed t w o asy l um appl i ca t i on s t o the C ou rt . R es po nd entsi gn ed b o th o f th e s e a p p lic a tio n s , s w e a r in g th a t its [ s ic ] c o n te n ts w e r e tr u e . H ow ever , R es po nd entdi d n otst at e on ei ther of these appl i ca t i on s that her husband ent er ed the U ni t ed S t at es w i tho uti nspecti on i n 1 98 9. In fa ct , R es po nd entcl ai m ed thatM r. G arri do l as tent er ed the U ni t ed S t at es on F e br ua r y 9, 1986. R e s ponde nta l s o s ubm i tt e d ape r s ona l s t a t e m e nt a l ong w i th he ra s y l um a ppl i c a t i on. T he pe r s ona l s t a t e m e ntm a ke s no m e nt i on of

M r . G a r r i do’ s e ntr y w i thouti ns pe c t i on, a nd a ppe a r s t o ha ve pu rposef ul l y om i tt ed i t . R es po nd ent s a l so fa i l ed t o d i sc l ose M r. G a r r id o ’s e n tr y w ith o u t in s p e c tio n a t th e m a s te rc a le n d a rh e a r in g . . . . T he C ou rtal so se ri ou sl y questi on s w hy M r. G arri do w ou l d even return to P e r u , c o n s id e r in g th a t th e G a r r id o s c la im th e y w e r e p e r s e c u te d th e r e .

. . . . R e s ponde ntga ve c onf l i c t i ng i nfor m a t i on a bouts om e of the4

S hi ni ng P a th i nc i de nt s . . . . R e s ponde ntw a s . . . unc l e a rabouthow m any c al l s s he re ce i ved from the S hi ni ng P ath. R es po nd entt es t i fi ed tha ts he r e c e i ve d t w o c a l l s f r om the S hi ni ng P a th, one i n J ul y of 1983, an d th e o th er i n N o v em b er o f 1 9 8 4 . A to n e p o i n ti n h er t est i m o n y, though, R e s ponde nts a i d tha ts he onl y r e c e i ve d one s uc h thr e a t e ni ng c a l l . L a s t l y , R e s ponde ntw a s i nc ons i s t e nta bouthe rr e a s ons forl e a vi ng P e r u . . . . T h e C o u r t a ls o fo u n d d if f ic u ltie s w ith [ th e P e r u v ia n p o lic e r e p o r ts G a r r i dos pr e s e nt e d a s e vi de nc e of the i re nc ount e r s w i th the S hi ni ng P a th ]. . . . T h e fo r e n s ic s la b n o te d s e v e r a l p r o b le m s w ith th e r e p o r ts . F i r s t , the for e ns i c s l a b w a s una bl e t o a uthe nt i c a t e the r e por t s . S e c ond, th e fo r e n s ic s la b fo u n d th a t th e p o lic e r e p o r ts w e r e n o t e n tir e ly c ons i s t e ntw i th the w a y s uc h r e por t s c us t om a r i l y a r e pr e pa r e d. F or e x a m p le , th e r e p o r ts w e r e n o t p r e p a r e d b y ac le r k o rs e r g e a n t, pe r c e pt i bl y l a c k de t a i l , a nd c ont a i ne d no fe e pa y m e nts t a m p. A ddi t i ona l l y , one of

the pol i c e r e por t s m e nt i one d thr e a t e ni ng l e tt e r s , but the l e tt e r s w e r e nots ubm i tt e d a l ong w i th the r e por tfore xa m i na t i on. I J ’ s D e c i s i on, J ul y 10, 2003, a t9- 11 ( i nt e r na l c i t a t i ons om i tt e d) . T he B oa r d of I m m i gr a t i on A ppe a l s a dopt e d a nd a f f i r m e d the I J ’ s de c i s i on on S e pt e m be r30, 2004.

“ I ti s the dut y of

the fa c tf

i nde rt o de t e r m i ne c r e di bi l i t y , a nd w e m a y not
su b st i tu t e o u r j u d g m en tfo r th ato f th e IJ w i th resp ectt o cred i b i l i t y fi n d i n g s. T h u s, the IJ ’ s a dm i ni stra t i ve fi nd i ng s of fac tar e c on cl usi ve un l es s are as on abl e fac t fi nd er w oul d be c om pe l l e d t o c onc l ude t o the c ontr a r y . ” Y a ng v. U . S . A tt ’ y G e n. , 418 F . 3d 1198, 1201 ( 11th C i r . 2005) ( i nt e r na l c i t a t i on om i tt e d) . A f t e rr e vi e w of

the
r e c o r d a n d th e I J ’s d e c is io n , w e f in d th a t th e I J ’s d e ta ile d e x p la n a tio n fo rits advers e c re di bi l i t y f

i nd i ng i s s up po rt ed by subst ant i al evi dence. S ee D -M uh um ed5

v . U .S . A tt’y G e n ., 3 8 8 F .3 d 8 1 4 , 8 1 9 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) . A l though a n I J ’ s a dve r s e c r e di bi l i t y f i ndi ng m a y a l one r e pr e s e nts uf f i c i e nt ba s i s t o a f

f i r m the I J ’ s de c i s i on, “ a n [ I J ’ s ] a dve r s e c r e di bi l i t y f i ndi ng doe s not
a l l e vi a t e the I J ’ s dut y t o c ons i de rothe re vi de nc e pr oduc e d by a n a s y l um a p p lic a n t,” a n d “th e I J m u s t s till c o n s id e ra ll e v id e n c e in tr o d u c e d b y th e a p p lic a n t.” F orgu e v. U . S . A tt ’ y G en. , 40 1 F . 3d 12 82 , 12 87 (11th C i r. 20 05 ). H er e, ho w ever , the IJ foun d t hatbo th t he G arri do s’ t es t i m on y a nd the G arri do s’ do cum ent ar y e v id e n c e w e r e u n r e lia b le , f in d in g s w h ic h w e r e s u p p o r te d b y s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e . A s s uc h, the I J di d note r ri n de ny i ng the pe t i t i on fora s y l um , a nd w e ha ve no o c c a s io n to r e v ie w w h e th e rth e G a r r id o s ’ a lle g e d e n c o u n te r s w ith th e S h in in g P a th ri se t o the l evel of pastpers ec ut i on or w hether the G arri do s have aw el l -fou nd ed fe a ro f f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n b y th e S h in in g P a th . We a f f i r m th e d e c i s i o n s o f

th e I J a n d B I A a n d d e n y th e p e t i t i o n fo rr e v i e w. P E T I T I O N D E N I E D .