FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC U IT JUNE 8, 2005 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ 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. 04- 15330 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ B I A N o. A 79- 458- 414 Y U E J I N G Z H A N G , 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 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

_________________________ ( J une 8, 2005) B efo re A N D E R S O N , M A R C U S an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: Y ue J i ng Z ha ng pe t i t i ons , pr o s e , f orr e vi e w of

the de c i s i on of

the B oa r d of2

Im m i grat i on A pp ea l s ( B IA ) thataf fi rm ed, w i tho utop i ni on , 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 rtu r e ( C A T ) . W e de ny the pe t i t i on. Z hang , a c i t i ze n o f the P eopl e’ s R epub l i c of C hi na, arri ved i n the U ni t ed S ta te s o n J u ly 3 0 , 2 0 0 2 . S h e f ile d a n a s y lu m ap p lic a tio n o n N o v e m b e r2 5 , 2 0 0 2 . Z ha ng a l l e ge d tha ts he s uf f e r e d pa s tpe r s e c ut i on on a c c ountof he rpol i t i c a l opi ni on be c aus e s he di d nota gr e e w i th the r e pr e s s i on of F a l un G ong, ar e l i gi ous s e c t , by th e C h in es e g o v er n m en t. A lth o u g h Z h an g w as n o t a m em b ero f th e s ec t, Z h an g ’s g ran d fath er w as a p ract i t i o n er o f F al u n G o n g . Z h an g t est i fi ed th atC h i n ese of f i c i a l s tw i c e r a i de d he rhom e t o a rr e s the rgr a ndf a the r , a nd a f

t e rthe s e c ond r a i d, the of f i c i a l s thr e a t e ne d t o a rr e s the re nt i r e f a m i l y i f he rgr a ndf

a the rdi d not s u rr e n d e r . Z h a n g ’s p a r e n ts a n d g r a n d f a th e rw e n t in to h id in g in S h e n Z h e n in C hi na. Z hang es caped from C hi na and cam e t o the U ni t ed S t at es . Z hang ar gu es thatshe f ears she w i l l be arre st ed i f s he re turns t o C hi na because of her grandfather’ s a ss oci at i on w i th F al un G on g and because s he l ef tthe coun try i l l e ga l l y . T he I m m i gr a t i on J udge de ni e d Z ha ng’ s appl i c a t i on f ora s y l um a nd w i th h o l d i n g o f rem o v al , b ecau se, Z h an g , al th o u g h cred i b l e, d i d n o test ab l i sh p ast p e r s e c u tio n o raw e ll- f

o u n d e d f e a ro f f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n o rto rtu r e . W e r e vi e w the de c i s i on of the I m m i gr a t i on J udge a s i f i tw e r e the de c i s i on3

of the B I A , be c aus e the B I A a dopt e d the de c i s i on of the I m m i gr a t i on J udge w ith o u t o p in io n . 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 th C ir . 2 0 0 1 ) .

“ T h e I J ’ s f

i n d i n g s o f

f a c ta r e r e v i e we d u n d e rth e s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e t e s t , a n d we

‘ m us ta f f i rm the [ I J ’ s ] de c i s i on i f i ti s s upport e d by r e a s onabl e , s ubs t a nt i a l , a nd prob at i ve evi dence on the re cord consi dere d as aw ho l e. ’ ” S epul veda v. U ni t ed S t at es A tty. G en. , 40 1 F . 3d 12 26 , 12 30 (11th C i r. 20 05 ) ( ci t at i on om i tt ed). “ U nd er th is h ig h ly d e f

e r e n tia l s ta n d a r d o f

r e v ie w , th e I J ’s d e c is io n c a n b e r e v e r s e d o n ly if the e vi de nc e ‘ c om pe l s ’ ar e a s onabl e f a c tf i nde rt o f i nd othe rw i s e . ” I d. ( c i t a t i on o m itte d ) . 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 a s y l um . 8 U . S . C . § 1158( a ) ( 1) . A n a l i e n w ho e s t abl i s he s , w i th s pe c i f i c a nd c r e d ib le e v id e n c e e ith e r( 1 ) p a s t p e r s e c u tio n o n a c c o u n t o f h is o rh e rm e m b e r s h ip i n apart i c ul a rs oc i a l gr oup, pol i t i c a l opi ni on, orothe rs t a tut or i l y l i s t e d f a c t or , or ( 2) a“ w e l l - f

ounde d f e a r ” tha thi s orhe rm e m be r s hi p i n apa rt i c ul a rs oc i a l gr oup, p o litic a l o p in io n , o ro th e rs ta tu to r ily lis te d f a c to rw ill c au s e f

u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n , is elig ib le fo r a sy lu m . 8 C .F .R . § 2 0 8 .1 3 (a ), (b ); A l N ajjar, 2 5 7 F .3 d at 1 2 8 7 . “ [A ]n ap p lic a n t m u s t d e m o n s tr a te th a t h is o rh e rf e a ro f p e r s e c u tio n is s u b

je c tiv e ly g e n u in e a n d o b

je c tiv e ly r e a s o n ab le .” A l N a jja r , 2 5 7 F .3 d a t 1 2 8 9 . S ub st ant i al evi dence s up po rt s the fi nd i ng of the Im m i grat i on Judg e that Z ha ng di d nots uf

f e rpa s tpe r s e c ut i on ore s t abl i s h aw e l l - f ounde d f e a rof4

pe r s e c ut i on i f

s he r e turne d t o C hi na . “ A l though, the I N A doe s note xpr e s s l y de f i ne

‘ pers ec ut i on ’ for purpo se s of qual i fy i ng as a ‘ re fugee, ’ se e 8 U . S . C . § 1 10 1(a) (42), w e h a v e d i s c u s s e d o th e rc i r c u i t s ’ h o l d i n g s th a t‘ p e r s e c u t i o n ’ i s a n ‘ e x tr e me c onc e pt , ’ r e qui r i ng ‘ m or e tha n af e w i s ol a t e d i nc i de nt s of ve rba l ha r a s s m e ntor i nt i m i dat i on , ’ and that‘ [m ] er e har as sm entdo es no tam ou ntt o p er se cut i on . ’ ” I d. at 1 2 3 1 . ( c ita tio n o m itte d ) . Z h a n g d id n o t e s tab lis h p a s t p e r s e c u tio n o raw e llf o u n d e d f e a ro f p e r s e c u tio n . A tm os t , Z ha ng e s t abl i s he d tha tC hi ne s e of f i c i a l s thr e a t e ne d t o a rr e s the ra nd h erfa m il y b ec au se o f h erg ra n d fa th er ’s re li g io u s o p in io n , n o t b ec au se o f Z h an g ’s r e lig io u s o rp o litic a l o p in io n . I n a d d itio n , a s ar e s u lt o f th e th r e a t o f

a rr e s t, Z hang ’ s par ent s and grandfather r el ocat ed i n C hi na, apparent l y w i tho utfurther i nc i de nt . T hi s e vi de nc e doe s notc om pe l the c onc l us i on tha ts he w a s pe r s e c ut e d or has aw el l -f

ou nd ed fe arof pers ec ut i on i f s he re turns t o C hi na. N ei ther di d Z hang es t abl i sh thatshe i s e nt i t l ed t o w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al unde rthe I N A . Z ha ng i s e nt i t l e d t o w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l unde rthe I N A i f s he c a n s how tha the rl i f

e orf r e e dom w oul d be thr e a t e ne d on a c c ountof r a c e , r e l i gi on, nat i on al i ty, m em bers hi p i n a part i cul arsoci al grou p, or po l i t i ca l op i ni on . M endo za v. U ni t ed S t at es A tt ’ y G en. , 32 7 F . 3d 12 83 , 12 87 (11th C i r. 20 03 ). “ T hi s s t andard i s m o re stri n g en tth an th e ‘ w el l -fo u n d ed fear’ st an d ard fo r asyl u m . . . . [B ] ecau se [Z hang ] cann otm ee tthe ‘ w el l -f ou nd ed fe ar ’ st andard for as yl um , i ti s afort i ori5

tha t[ s he ] c a nnotm e e tthe w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l s t a nda r d. ” D - M uhum e d v. 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 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) ( c ita tio n s o m itte d ) . Z h a n g ’s a lte rn a tiv e th e o ry o f r e lie f u n d e rth e C A T a ls o f

a ils . T o o b ta in w ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l u n d e rth e C A T , Z h a n g m u s t e s tab lis h th a t it is “m o r e lik e ly th a n n o t” s h e w ill b e to rtu r e d in th e c o u n try o f r e m o v a l. 8 C .F .R . § 2 0 8 .1 6 ( c ) ( 2 ) . T orture i s de f

i ne d a s a ny a c tby w hi c h s e ve r e pa i n ors uf f e r i ng, w he t h er p h y s i c a l orm e nt a l , i s i nt e nt i ona l l y i nf l i c t e d on ape r s on f

or s uc h purpos e s a s obt a i ni ng f r om hi m or h erorathi r d pe r s on i nf orm a t i on orac onf

e s s i on, puni s hi ng h i m o rhe rf ora n a c the ors he orathi r d pe r s on h as c om m i tt e d ori s s us pe c t e d of ha vi ng c om m i tt e d, ori nt i m i da t i ng o r coe r c i ng hi m orhe rorathi r d pe r s on, orf ora ny r e a s on ba s e d on di s c r i m i na t i on of an y ki nd, w he n s uc h pa i n or s uf f e r i ng i s i nf

l i ct ed b y o r a tthe i ns t i ga t i on of orw i th the c ons e ntor ac qu i es ce nce of a publ i c off i ci al or other pers on ac t i ng i n an o ff i ci al cap aci ty. 8 C .F .R . § 2 0 8 .1 8 ( a ) ( 1 ) . Z h a n g d id n o t e s tab lis h th a t it w a s “m o r e lik e ly th a n n o t” th a t s h e w o u ld b e to rtu r e d if s h e is r e tu rn e dto C h in a . Z h a n g ’s f e a rth a t s h e c o u ld be a rr e s t e d i s i ns uf

f i c i e ntt o e s t abl i s h tha ti ti s m or e l i ke l y tha n nottha ts he w i l l be to rtu r e d . P E T I T I ON DE NI E D.