# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls

For the Eig hth Circu it

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No. 1 6- 31 76

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Nad ii a Ro m en te s

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Peti ti on er

v.

Je ffer so n B . Ses si on s, II I, 1 Att or ne y Gene ral of t he Uni te d S ta te s

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Resp on de nt

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Pet it io n fo r Rev ie w of a n Ord er o f th e Bo ard of I m

m ig rat io n Ap pe al s

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Su bm it te d: Ju ne 2, 2 01 7
Fi le d: Ju ne 7, 2 01 7 [Un pu bl is he d]

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Befo re GRUENDER, ARNOLD, and KELLY , Cir cu it Ju dg es

.

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PER CURI AM.

1 Je ffer so n B. Ses si on s, III ha s be en ap po in te d to se rv e as Att or ne y Gen eral of
th e Uni te d St at es , an d is su bs ti tu te d a s res po nd en t pu rs ua nt to Fed eral Ru le of App el la te Pro ced ur e 4 3( c).Ukr ai ni an ci ti zen Nad ii a Ro m en te s pe ti ti on s fo r rev ie w of an or de r of th e

Bo ard of Im

m ig rat io n App eal s (BIA) up ho ld in g an im m ig rat io n jud ge ’s (IJ ’s) or de r
de nyin g as y lu m , wit hh ol di ng of rem ov al

, an d rel ie f un de r th e Co nv en ti on Aga in st

Tort ur e. W he re, as he re, th e BIA ad op ts an d affi rm s th e I J ’s d e c i s i o n, bu t ad ds it s

own reas on in g, th is co ur t rev ie ws th e BIA’s an d IJ ’s de ci si on s to ge th er. See Garci aMi li an v. Ly

nc h

, 82 5 F.3 d 94 3, 94 5 (8 th Ci r. 20 16 ). The IJ de te rm in ed th at Ro m en te s

ha d no t es ta bl is he d el ig ib il it y fo r as y lu m , wit hh ol di ng of rem ov al

, or CAT rel ie f,

be cau se he r te st im on y was no t cr ed ib le an d s he co ul d n ot m eet he r bu rd en of p ro of

wit h ot he r ev id en ce. W e fin d th at th e IJ ’s ad ve rs e cred ib il it y de te rm in at io n is

su pp o r t e d by su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce, an d is en ti tl ed to de fere nc e, be cau se it was

su pp or te d by sp eci fic

, co ge nt reas on s fo r di sb el ie f. See Lit vi no v v. Hol de r , 60 5 F.3 d

54 8, 55 5 (8t h C ir. 2 01 0) (th is co ur t de fers to IJ ’s c red ib il it y de te rm in at io n whe re it

is su pp or te d by sp eci fic

, co ge nt reas on s fo r di sb el ie f). Sp eci fic al ly, th e IJ fo un d th at

Ms

. Ro m en te s’s de m ean or at th e m eri ts he ari ng was cas ua l an d de ta ch ed ev en th ou gh

sh e was de sc rib in g rep eat ed in ci de nt s of ph y si cal a b u s e t h a t sh e al le ge dl y su ffer ed

at th e ha nd s of th e pe rs on who m sh e fear ed in th e Ukr ai ne

. See Ch ak ho v v. Ly nc h

, 83 7 F.3 d 84 3, 84 6 (8 th Ci r. 20 16 ) (IJ m ay ba se cred ib il it y de te rm in at io n on , am on g

ot he r t hi ng s, de m ean or , can do r, or res po ns iv en es s of ap pl ic an t or wit ne ss ); Diaz

Pere z v. Hol de r , 75 0 F.3 d 96 1, 96 3- 64 (8 th Ci r. 20 14 ) (IJ ha s se en wit ne ss te st ify an d

t h u s i s in be st po si ti on to de te rm in e cred ib il it y ). Fu rth er, th e IJ ou tl in ed nu m ero us

in co ns is te nc ie s be twee n Ms

. Ro m en te s’s te st im on y an d he r do cu m en ta ry ev id en ce--

m an y of whi ch wen t to th e he art of he r as y lu m cl ai m --an d th e IJ was un pe rs ua de d by

th e rea so ns th at Ms

. Ro m en te s gav e to jus ti fy or ex pl ai n th e di sc rep an ci es

. See Ali

v. Hol de r , 68 6 F.3 d 53 4, 53 7- 38 (8 th Ci r. 20 12 ) (cre di bi li ty fin di ng s are rev ie wed fo r

su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce, an d are co nc lu si ve un le ss an y reas on ab le ad jud ic at or wou ld be

co m pe ll ed to reac h co nt rary co nc lu si on ); cf. Red d v. M u k a s e y , 5 3 5 F.3 d 83 8, 84 2

-2

-(8 th Ci r. 20 08 ) (u ne xp la in ed in co ns is te nc ie s t h a t w e nt to he art of as y lu m cl ai m

su pp or te d IJ ’s cred ib il it y de te rm in at io n) . The p et it io n fo r rev ie w is de ni ed

. 2

2 W e do no t co ns id er th os e m at te rs th at Ms

. Ro m en te s fai le d to rai se be fo re th e BIA, se e Mar ti ne z Carc am o v. Hol de r , 71 3 F.3 d 91 6, 92 5 (8 th Ci r. 20 13 ) (d is cu ss in g ad m in is tra ti ve ex ha us ti on ); an d we fin d n o m eri t to he r arg um en t th at th e BIA
vi ol at ed du e p ro ces s b y

rev ie win g t he IJ’s cr ed ib il it y fin di ng on ly for cl ear e rro r.

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