### F I LE D U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E LEVE NTH CI RCUI T M ar c h 28, 2006 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- 14609 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ A ge nc y N o. A 95- 263- 780 S A N D R A C A R O L I N A R I V E R A , P e titio n e r , 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

_________________________ ( M ar c h 28, 2006) B efo re B L A C K , B A R K E T T an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: S a ndr aC a r ol i naR i ve r a , pr oc e e di ng pr o s e , pe t i t i ons f orr e vi e w of

the2

deci si on of the B oard of Im m i grat i on A pp ea l s thataf fi rm ed the deni al of her appl i c a t i on f

ora s y l um a nd w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l unde rthe I m m i gr a t i on a nd N a tio n a lity A c t ( I N A ) a n d th e U n ite d N a tio n s C o n v e n tio n A g a in s t T o r tu r e ( C A T ) . W e d e n y th e p e titio n . B ec ause the B IA adop t ed the deci si on of the Im m i grat i on Judg e, w e r evi ew th e d e c i s i o n o f

th e I m m i g r a t i o n J u d g e a s i f i twe r e th e d e c i s i o n o f

th e B I A. Al N a jj a rv. A s hc r of

t , 257 F . 3d 1262, 1284 ( 11th C i r . 2001) . W e r e vi e w de novo the l egal det erm i nat i on s of the B IA . Id. “ A dm i ni stra t i ve fi nd i ng s of f ac tar e c o n c lu s iv e u n le s s a n y r e a s o n ab le a d ju d ic a to rw o u ld b e c o m p e lle d to c o n c lu d e to the c ontr a ry . ” 8 U . S . C . § 1252( b) ( 4) ( B ) . “ T he tr i e rof f a c tm us tde t e rm i ne c r e di bi l i ty , a nd thi s c our tm a y nots ubs t i tut e i t s j udgm e ntf ortha tof the [I m m i grat i on Judg e] w i th res pectt o cre di bi l i ty f i nd i ng s. ” D -M uh um ed v. U ni t ed S t at es A tt ’ y G en. , 38 8 F . 3d 81 4, 81 8 (11 th C i r. 20 04 ). R i ve r a , a c i t i z e n of

C ol om bi a , e nt e r e d the U ni t e d S t a t e s on J a nua ry 15, 2 0 0 2 , a s an o n - im m ig r a n t v is ito rw ith p e rm is s io n to s ta y u n til J u ly 1 4 , 2 0 0 2 , b u t R i ve r a r e m a i ne d i n the U ni t e d S t a t e s be y ond tha tda t e w i thouta uthor i z a t i on. T he I m m ig r a tio n a n dN a tu r a liz a tio n S e rv ic e is s u e d R iv e r aa n o tic e to ap p e a ro n J u ly 31, 2002. R i ve r af

i l e d a n appl i c a t i on of

a s y l um a nd w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l a nd a l l e ge d tha ts he e nt e r e d the U ni t e d S t a t e s t o e s c ape de a th thr e a t s f r om the3

R evol ut i on ary A rm ed F orce s of C ol om bi a ( F A R C ) bas ed on her f ather’ s pol i t i ca l a c tiv ity . A tthe a s y l um he a r i ng, R i ve r as t a t e d tha the rf a the rw a s f

i r s tthr e a t e ne d by the F A R C i n 1 99 8 b ec ause of hi s a ct i vi t i es w i th the conservat i ve party, and w hen h e d id n o t s to p h is a c tiv itie s , th e th r e a ts w e r e e x te n d e d to th e e n tir e f a m ily . A l tho ug h h eras yl um appl i ca t i on m ent i on ed on l y herfa ther’ s a ct i vi ty, R i vera t e s t i f i e d a tthe he a r i ng tha ts he a s s i s t e d he rf a the ri n hi s pol i t i c a l a c t i vi ty by p r e p a r in g e d u c a tio n a l m a te r ia ls f o rp e a s a n ts . I n 2 0 0 1 , R iv e r aa n d h e rf a m ily r e c e i ve d thr e a t s by t e l e phone . T he f a m i l y r e l oc a t e d s e ve r a l t i m e s w i thi n the c i ty of B o g o tato a v o id th e F A R C . R iv e r aa lle g e d th a t, a f te re a c h m o v e , th e f

a m ily w o u ld re ce i ve a t el epho ne ca l l st at i ng thatthe F A R C kn ew w here they w er e l ocat ed. In l a t e J a nua ry 2002, R i ve r aa nd he rpa r e nt s l e f tC ol om bi a . R i ve r ac a m e t o the U ni t ed S t at es , and h erpare nt s m ov ed t o E cuador. R i veraal so al l eged thather m o th e r ’s c o u s in h a d b e e n a s s a s s in a te d b y th e F A R C a f te rs h e le f

t C o lo m b ia . R iv e r a f ile d s e v e r a l d o c u m e n ts in s u p p o r t o f h e rap p lic a tio n . O n cross -e xam i nat i on , R i verast at ed thatshe di d n otm ent i on her i nv ol vem enti n the conservat i ve party i n h eras yl um appl i ca t i on because her a tt orne y s a i d i tw a s unne c e s s a ry . R i ve r as t a t e d tha ts he di d notr e por tthe 2001 t el ep h o n e cal l s atth e t i m e th ey w ere received . S h e st at edth atsh e h ad a v al i d v i sa4

t o c om e t o the U ni t e d S t a t e s s i nc e 1999 butw a i t e d unt i l J a nua ry 2002 t o l e a ve Co l o mb i a . Ri v e r as t a t e dth a ts h e n e v e rh a d a n y p e r s o n a l c o n t a c tw i th th e FA RC, w a s ne ve rphy s i c a l l y ha rm e d i n C ol om bi a , a nd ne ve ra tt e m pt e d t o r e l oc a t e out s i de of B ogot a . R i ve r aa l s o s t a t e d tha ts he c a m e t o the U ni t e d S t a t e s , i ns t e a d of goi ng w i th he rpa r e nt s t o E c ua dor , be c a us e s he c oul d c ont i nue l e a rni ng E ngl i s h a nd the e c o n o m y is b e tte rin th e U n ite d S ta te s . A t th e c lo se o f th e tes ti m o n y, th e I m m ig ra ti o n Ju d g e c o n clu d ed th at R iv er a’s

“ t es t i m on y w as no tsuff i ci ent l y det ai l ed, consi st entor bel i evabl e t o p rovi de a p la u s ib le o rc o h e r e n t a c c o u n t o f th e b a s is f

o rh e rf e a r s a n d th u s c a n n o t s u f f ic e to e s t abl i s h he re l i gi bi l i ty f ora s y l um , w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l orT or tur e C onve nt i on re l i ef . ” T he Im m i grat i on Judg e c on cl ud ed thatthe threa t s abo utw hi ch R i vera c o m p la in e d d id n o t r is e to th e le v e l o f p e r s e c u tio n , th e r e w a s n o e v id e n c e to c onne c tthe de a th of

he rm othe r ’ s c ous i n t o R i ve r a ’ s a l l e ga t i ons of pe r s e c ut i on, a nd th e a c tio n s o f

R iv e r aa n d h e rf

a m ily d id n o t c o m p o r t w ith th e b e h a v io ro f p e o p le f l e e i ng pe r s e c ut i on. I n a ddi t i on, the I m m i gr a t i on J udge s t a t e d tha the ha d c onc e rns aboutthe a uthe nt i c i ty of s om e of R i ve r a ’ s doc um e nt s . T he I m m i gr a t i on J udge d e n ie d a s y lu m a n d w ith h o ld in g o f r e m o v a l. A n a l i e n w ho a rr i ve s i n ori s pr e s e nti n the U ni t e d S t a t e s m a y appl y f or as yl um . 8 U . S . C . § 1 15 8(a) (1). A n al i en i s e nt i t l ed t o asy l um i f he or s he ca n5

e s t abl i s h, w i th s pe c i f

i c a nd c r e di bl e e vi de nc e pa s tpe r s e c ut i on on a c c ountof hi s or h e rm e m b e r s h ip in a p a r tic u la rs o c ia l g r o u p , p o litic a l o p in io n , o ro th e rs ta tu to r ily l i st ed fa ct or, or a “ w el l -f ou nd ed fe ar ” thathi s or herm em bers hi p i n a part i cul ar soci al grou p, po l i t i ca l op i ni on , or other s t atut ori l y l i st ed fa ct or w i l l cause f uture p e r s e c u tio n . 8 C .F .R . § 2 0 8 .1 3 ( a ) , ( b ) ; A l N a jja r , 2 5 7 F .3 d a t 1 2 8 7 .

“ D em on stra t i ng such a c on nect i on re qu i re s the al i en t o p re se ntspec i fi c, det ai l ed f a c t s s how i ng agood r e a s on t o f e a rtha the ors he w i l l be s i ngl e d outf or pe r s e c ut i on on a c c ountof s uc h a n opi ni on. ” I d. ( c i t a t i on a nd i nt e rna l quot a t i on m a rks om i tt e d) . I n a ddi t i on, “ a n appl i c a ntm us tde m ons tr a t e tha thi s orhe rf e a rof pe r s e c ut i on i s s ubj e c t i ve l y ge nui ne a nd obj e c t i ve l y r e a s onabl e . ” I d. a t1289. S ub st ant i al evi dence s up po rt s the deci si on of the Im m i grat i on Judg e that R i veradi d n otsuff

erpastpers ec ut i on or have a w el l -f ou nd ed fe arof future pers ec ut i on . T he t el epho ne threa t s t o R i veraand h erfa m i l y di d n otri se t o the l evel o f p e r s e c u tio n , S e p u lv e d av . U n ite d S ta te s A tt’y G e n ., 4 0 1 F .3 d 1 2 2 6 , 1 2 3 1 ( 1 1 th C i r. 20 04 ), and the do cum ent s pre se nt ed by R i verare gardi ng her the death o f her m othe r ’ s c ous i n di d note s t abl i s h tha tthe de a th w a s r e l a t e d t o R i ve r a ’ s a l l e ga t i ons o f p e r s e c u tio n . R i ve r a ’ s pe t i t i on f

orr e vi e w of

the de ni a l of

he rappl i c a t i on f

orw i thhol di ng o f rem o v al an d rel i ef u n d er th e C o n v en t i o n A g ai n stT o rtu re al so fai l s. B ecau se6

R i v era fail ed t o est ab l i sh th e l esser b u rd en o f en t i t l em en tt o asyl u m , sh e al so ca nn otes t abl i sh ent i t l em entt o w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al , D -M uh um ed, 38 8 F . 3d at 8 1 9 , a n d R iv e r ad id n o t s h o w th a t s h e “m o r e lik e ly th a n n o t” w o u ld b e to r tu r e d if r e tu rn e d to C o lo m b ia , 8 C .F .R . § 2 0 8 .1 6 ( c ) ( 2 ) . P E T I T I ON DE NI E D.