FI LED U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT N ove m be r 16, 2005 T HOM AS K. KAHN CL 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- 11360 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ B I A A ge nc yN os . A 78- 599- 272 & A 78- 599- 273 L I L I A N V A R G A S H I D A L G O , H E N R Y B A R R A N T E S M U R I L L O , e t a l., 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

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

_________________________ ( N ove m be r16, 2005)

B efo re B IR C H , B L A C K an d B A R K E T T , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:B e c aus e P e t i t i one r s ’ r e m ova l pr oc e e di ngs c om m e nc e d a f t e rA pr i l 1, 1997, the 1 ef fe ct i ve dat e o f the Il l egal Im m i grat i on R ef orm and Im m i grantR es po nsi bi l i ty A ct (I IR IR A ), thi s c as e i s gov erned by the perm anentprov i si on s of the IN A , as am ended b yI I R I R A . G onz alez-O ro p eza v . U

. S. A t t ’ yG e n. , 32 1 F . 3d 13 31 , 13 32 (11th C i r. 20 03 ). P et i t i one r s a l s o appl i e d f ora s y l um . T he I J , how e ve r , rul e d the a s y l um 2 ap p lic a tio n w a s u n tim e ly , a n d th u s , p r e te rm itte d . P e titio n e r s d idn o t c h a lle n g e th is ru l i n g b e f

o r e th e B I A an d d o n o tc h a l l e n g e i ti n th e i rp e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w. A c c or di ngl y, P e t i t i one r s ha ve aba ndone d a nyi s s ue s r e l a t e d t o the i rappl i c a t i on f or a s y lu m . Se

pulv e da v . U

. S. A t t ’ yG e n. , 40 1 F . 3d 12 26 , 12 28 n. 2 (11 th C i r. 20 05 ).

2 L i l i an V ar gas H i dal go (V ar gas) , her husband H enryM uri l l o B arrant es ( M ur i l l o) , a nd the i rf

i ve c hi l dr e n, na t i ve s a nd c i t i z e ns of C os t aR i c a , s e e k r e vi e w of the B oa r d of

I m m i gr a t i on A ppe a l s ’ ( B I A ’ s ) de c i s i on a f f i rm i ng the I m m i gr a t i on J udge ’ s ( I J ’ s ) or de r s f

i ndi ng the m r e m ovabl e a nd de ny i ng the i rappl i c a t i ons f or w ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l u n d e rth e I m m ig r a tio n a n dN a tio n a lityA c t ( I N A ) , 8 U . S . C . § 1 2 3 1 (b )(3 ), an d rel i ef u n d er th e U n i t ed N at i o n s C o n v en t i o n A g ai n st 1 T ortur e a nd O the rF orm s of C rue l , I nhum a n orD e gr a di ng T r e a tm e ntor P un i shm ent(C A T ), 8 C . F . R . § 2 08 . 16 (c ). 2 P e t i t i one r s a r gue the I Je rr e d i n f i ndi ng the yf

a i l e d t o e s t abl i s h al i ke l i hood of future pers ec ut i on base d o n a prot ec t ed grou nd . T hey argue the evi dence sh o w edth ey w o u l d su ffer p ersecu t i o n i f fo rced t o retu rn t o C o st a R i ca b ecau se M u r illo in f

o rm e d au th o r itie s o f

ad ru g o p e r a tio n in v o lv in g m e m b e r s o f th e C o s ta R i c a n pol i c e f

or c e . T he yc ont e nd thi s thr e a tof f utur e pe r s e c ut i on c om pe l s the3

concl usi on thatthey w ou l d b e per se cut ed base d o n an exp re ss ed or i m pu t ed pol i t i c a l opi ni on. W e de nythe i rpe t i t i on.

I . DI S C US S I ON W he n the B I A i s s ue s ade c i s i on, w e r e vi e w onl ytha tde c i s i on, e xc e ptt o the e x te n t th e B I A e x p r e s s lya d o p ts th e I J ’s d e c is io n . A l N a jja rv . A s h c r o

ft , 257 F . 3d 1 2 6 2 , 1 2 8 4 ( 1 1 th C i r . 2 0 0 1 ) . “ I n s o f a ra s th e [ B I A] a d o p t s th e I J ’ s r e a s o n i n g , we w i l l re vi ew the IJ ’ s dec i si on as w el l . ” I d. H er e, th e B IA ex p re ss ly ad o p ted th e I J’s r e a s oni ng a nd br i e f

l ya rt i c ul a t e d i t s r e a s ons f ordoi ng s o. T hus , w e r e vi e w the d e c i s i o n s o f

b o th th e I Ja n d th e B I A. T he B I A ’ s l e ga l de t e rm i na t i ons a r e r e vi e w e d de novo. Moh am m ed v . A s h c r o ft , 26 1 F . 3d 12 44 , 12 47 -48 (11 th C i r. 20 01 ). T he B IA ’ s f ac tual d et erm i n at i o n s 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 , an dw e m u st a f f i rm the B I A ’ s de c i s i on i f i ti s s upport e d byr e a s onabl e , s ubs t a nt i a l , a nd p r o b a tiv e e v id e n c e o n th e r e c o r d c o n s id e r e da s aw h o le . A l N aj j ar , 257 F . 3d at12 83 -84. T he subst ant i al evi dence t es ti s def er ent i al and d oes notal l ow re w e ig h in g th e e v id e n c e f r o m s c r a tc h . M

az ar i egos v . O

f f i c e of U . S. A t t ’ yG e n. , 241 F . 3d 1320, 1323 ( 11th C i r . 2001) . T o r e ve r s e a n I J ’ s f a c tua l f i ndi ngs , w e m us tf

i nd th e r e c o r d n o t o n lys u p p o rts r e v e r s a l, b u t c o m p e ls it. Me ndoz a v . U . S. A t t ’ yG e n. , 32 7 F . 3d 12 83 , 12 87 (11th C i r. 20 03 ).4

U nde rthe I N A , a n a l i e n s ha l l notbe r e m ove d t o ac ountryi f hi s l i f e or f r e e dom w oul d be thr e a t e ne d i n tha tc ountryon a c c ountof r a c e , r e l i gi on, n a t i o n a l i ty , me mb e r s h i p i n ap a rt i c u l a rs o c i a l g r o u p , o rp o l i t i c a l o p i n i o n . 8 U . S. C. § 1231( b) ( 3) . T he bur de n of pr oof i s on the a l i e n t o s how hi s e l i gi bi l i tyf or w i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l byde m ons tr a t i ng he i s m or e l i ke l ytha n nott o be p e r s e c u te d o rto rtu r e d u p o n b e in g r e tu rn e dto h is c o u n try . Sepu lve da v. U . S. A t t ’y G e n. , 4 0 1 F . 3 d 1 2 2 6 , 1 2 3 2 (1 1 th C i r. 2 0 0 5 ). A n al i en w h o h as n o tsh o w n p ast pers ec ut i on m ayst i l l be ent i t l ed t o w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al i f he c an dem on stra t e a f u tu r e th r e a t to h is lif

e o rf r e e d o m b a s e do n ap r o te c te dg r o u n d . Sanc hezv . U . S. A t t ’ yG e n. , 39 2 F . 3d 43 4, 43 7-38 (11th C i r. 20 04 ). T h e IN A p ro t ect s ag ai n stp ersecu t i o n n o to n l y b y g o v ern m en tfo rces b u tal so b yn o n - g o v e rn m e n ta l g r o u p s th e g o v e rn m e n t c a n n o t c o n tr o l. I d. at43 7. H ow ever , a n ap p lic a n t s e e k in g a s y lu m o n a c c o u n t o f p e r s e c u tio n b y , f

o re x a m p le , ag u e r illa gr oup m us te s t abl i s h the gue r i l l a s pe r s e c ut e d hi m orw i l l pe r s e c ut e hi m on a c c ount o f h is a c tu a l o rim p u te d p o litic a l o p in io n , n o t th e g u e r illag r o u p ’s p o litic a l o p in io n . Se e id. I ti s note nough f ora n appl i c a ntt o s how he w a s orw i l l be pe r s e c ut e d due to h is r e f u s a l to c o o p e r a te w ith th e g u e r illa s . I d. T o o b ta in r e lie f

u n d e rth e C A T , th e b u r d e n is o n th e ap p lic a n t to e s tab lis h it i s “ mo r e l i k e l yth a n n o t ” h e w i l l b e t o rtu r e di n th e c o u n tryo f r e mo v a l . 8 C. F. R. § 2 0 8 .1 6 ( c ) ( 2 ) . T o rtu r e is d e f in e d a s :5

a n ya c t b yw h ic h s e v e r e p a in o rs u f f e r in g , w h e th e rp h y s ic a l o rm e n ta l, i s i nt e nt i ona l l yi nf

l i c t e d on ape r s on f

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

e s s i on, pu ni shi ng hi m or her f

or an acthe or she or a thi rd pers on has 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 or c oe r c i ng hi m orhe rorathi r d pe r s on, orf ora nyr e a s on ba s e d on di s c r i m i na t i on of

a nyki nd, w he n s uc h pa i n ors uf f e r i ng i s i nf

l i c t e d by o ra t th e in s tig a tio n o f

o rw ith th e c o n s e n t o ra c q u ie s c e n c e o f ap u b lic o f f ic ia l o ro th e rp e r s o n a c tin g in a n o f f ic ia l c ap a c ity . 8 C . F . R . § 2 08 . 18 (a )( 1). T o con st i tut e t orture, an ac tm ustbe spec i fi ca l l y i nt ended t o i nf l i c ts e ve r e phy s i c a l orm e nt a l pa i n ors uf f e r i ng. 8 C . F . R . § 208. 18( a ) ( 5) . T he lik e lyto rtu r e m u s t b e a t th e h a n d s o f th e g o v e rn m e n t o rp e r f o rm e dw ith g o v e rn m e n t a c q u ie s c e n c e . Sa nchez , 392 F . 3d a t438. T he evi dence does notcom pel a di ff er entre sul tthan tho se re nd er ed by the IJ and the B IA . F i rs t , P et i t i on er s have notshow n an exp re ss ed or i m pu t ed po l i t i ca l opi ni on w a rr a nt i ng w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l unde rthe I N A . E ve n i f oppos i ng drug traf fick in g w er e a p o li ti ca l o p in io n , P etit io n er s h av e n o t sh o w n th e g o v ern m en t’ s l a c k of c ontr ol ove rdrug tr a f

f i c ki ng gr oups . I n f

a c t , the a rr e s t , c onvi c t i on, a nd 16- y e a rs e n te n c e im p o s e d o n th e p o lic e c o lo n e l in v o lv e din th e d ru g o p e r a tio n a ll in d ic a te C o s taR ic ais w illin g a n dab le to ta k e as ta n da g a in s t d ru g d e a le r s . S e c o n d , P e titio n e r s h a v e n o t s h o w n g o v e rn m e n t a c q u ie s c e n c e to th e ir a l l e ge d t ortur e thr e a t s , a s r e qui r e d bythe C A T . T he e vi de nc e s how e d the thr e a tof ha rm t o P e t i t i one r s m os t l yde r i ve d f r om c r i m i na l s , notthe gove rnm e nt . T o the6

e xt e nttha tgove rnm e ntof f i c i a l s w e r e i nvol ve d, the yappe a rt o ha ve be e n r ogue e m p lo y e e s n o t c a rry in g o u t g o v e rn m e n ta l in s tru c tio n s . I I . C ON C L US I ON S ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e s upport s the I J ’ s de ni a l of P e t i t i one r s ’ w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l a nd C A T c l a i m s . P e t i t i one r s di d note s t abl i s h a nyl i ke l i hood of pers ec ut i on or t orture w i th any nexu s t o a prot ec t ed grou nd . Inst ea d, the re cord m e r e l ys how s P e t i t i one r s w e r e va gue l ythr e a t e ne d byagr oup of c r i m i na l s , af

e w of w hom m a yha ve be e n r ogue gove rnm e nte m pl oy e e s , w ho w e r e unhappyabout b e i n g c au g h t . Ac c o r d i n g l y , we d e n yth e i rp e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w. P E T I T I ON DE NI E D.