FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC UIT MARCH 16, 2006 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. 05- 15100 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ B I A N os . A 96- 096- 772 & A 96- 096- 773 J U A N J O R G E M O N C A D A R E S T R E P O , L A U R A M A R I A G O E Z J A R A M I L L O , V E R O N I C A M O N C A D A G O E Z , J U A N S E B A S T I A N M O N C A D A G O E Z , 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

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

_________________________ ( M ar c h 16, 2006) B efo re M A R C U S , W IL S O N an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:2

J ua n J or ge M onc a daR e s tr e po pe t i t i ons f orr e vi e w of

the or de r s of

the I m m i gr a t i on J udge a nd B oa r d of I m m i gr a t i on A ppe a l s tha tde ni e d hi s 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 . W e de nyM onc a daR e s tr e po’ s pe t i t i on. M on ca da R es tre po , hi s w i fe , and thei r tw o chi l dren, al l ci t i ze ns 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 D e c e m be r5, 2000, a nd f i l e d a n appl i c a t i on f

ora s y l um on O c t obe r11, 2002. O n J a nua ry29, 2003, the I m m i gr a t i on a nd N a tur a l i z a t i on S e rv ic e is s u e d aN o tic e to A p p e a rth a t c h a r g e d M o n c a d aR e s tr e p o a n d h is f a m ily a s r e m o v ab le f

o rb e in g p r e s e n t in th e U n ite d S ta te s in v io la tio n o f la w . 8 U .S .C . § 12 27 (a )( 1)(B ). A tthe heari ng before the IJ , M on ca da R es tre po conceded r e m o v ab ilityo n th e g r o u n d s s ta te d in th e N o tic e , b u t ar g u e d th a t h e w a s e n title d to a s y lu m a n d w ith h o ld in g o f r e m o v a l. M on ca da R es tre po t es t i fi ed that , w hi l e l i vi ng i n C ol om bi a, he w as a m em ber of s e ve r a l “ s oc i a l w e l f

a r e c om m i tt e e s ” a nd a c t i ve l yc r i t i c i z e d the m i l i t a ntgr oup R e vol ut i ona ry A rm e d F or c e s of C ol um bi a( F A R C ) . F r om J ul yt o D e c e m be r2000, M onc a daR e s tr e po r e c e i ve d num e r ous thr e a t e ni ng phone c a l l s f r om am a n w ho i de nt i f i e d hi m s e l f

a s am e m be rof

F A R C . M onc a daR e s tr e po a l s o s t a t e d tha ton O c t obe r13, 2000, hi s w i f e w a s appr oa c he d by“ s om e m e n on am ot or c y c l e ” w ho t ol d he rt o ge toutof

he rc a rbutf

l e d w he n apol i c e ve hi c l e appr oa c he d. M onc a da R e s tr e po t e s t i f

i e d tha the r e c e i ve d a nothe rphone c a l l tha te ve ni ng dur i ng w hi c h the F A R C m e m b e rs ta te d , “[ T ]o d a y , w e f a ile d b u t th e n e x t tim e , w e ’r e n o t g o in g to3

f a i l w he the ri t ’ s w i th y ou[ ] orw i th y ourf a m i l y . ” A l though M onc a daR e s tr e po t est i fi ed th ath e b el i ev ed th e th reat s w ere cau sed b y h i s p o l i t i cal act i v i ty, o n cro sse xa m i na t i on he a dm i tt e d tha tthe thr e a t s m a yha ve be e n m a de be c aus e he t erm i nat ed se vera l em pl oyee s f rom hi s busi ness . M on ca da R es tre po never not i fi ed the autho ri t i es of the ph on e c al l s or the i nci denti nv ol vi ng hi s w i fe . M o n c a d aR e s tr e p o te s tif ie d th a t s e v e r a l c ir c u m s ta n c e s d e la y e d h is appl i c a t i on f

ora s y l um . M onc a daR e s tr e po s t a t e d tha ton S e pt e m be r20, 2001, he i nj ured hi s f

oo ti n a w ork-re l at ed ac ci dent , spent35 days i n the ho spi t al , and w as i m m obi l i z e d f

orove rs i x m onths . M onc a daR e s tr e po t e s t i f i e d tha tthi s i nj urym a de hi m un abl e t o con sul tan att orney t o fi l e hi s a sy l um appl i cat i on , bu the adm i tt ed tha the m a de m onthl y tr i ps t o hi s doc t or ’ s of f i c e f orc he c kups . M onc a daR e s tr e po s t a t e d tha the di d notf

i l e hi s appl i c a t i on be f

or e hi s i nj urybe c aus e hi s pr e vi ous a tt orne y di d nota dvi s e hi m of the one - y e a rde a dl i ne a nd he w a s w a i t i ng f or do cum ent s t o arr i ve fr om C ol om bi a. T he I Jde ni e d M onc a daR e s tr e po’ s appl i c a t i on f ora s y l um a nd w i thhol di ng o f r e m o v a l. T h e I Jd e n ie d M o n c a d aR e s tr e p o ’s ap p lic a tio n f o ra s y lu m a s u n tim e ly because he f

ai l ed t o app l y f

or as yl um w i thi n o ne ye arof hi s arr i val i n the U ni t ed S t at es , 8 U . S . C . § 1 15 8(a) (2)( B ), and h e f ai l ed t o est abl i sh “ extra ordi nary ci rc um st ance s” t o excuse hi s del ay , 8 C . F . R . § 1 20 8. 4(a) (5). T he IJaddres se d M onc a daR e s tr e po’ s appl i c a t i on f orw i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l on the m e r i t s a nd4

f ound tha the di d notm e e thi s bur de n t o s how tha ti ti s m or e l i ke l ytha n nottha the w oul d be pe r s e c ut e d on a c c ountof apr ot e c t e d gr ound. T he B I A a f f i rm e d the o r d e ro f th e I J“f o rth e r e a s o n s s e t f

o rth in th e I m m ig r a tio n J u d g e ’s d e c is io n .” W he n the B I A a dopt s the opi ni on of the I J , thi s C ourtr e vi e w s the de c i s i ons of bo th the B IA and IJ. A l N ajj arv. A shcr oft , 25 7 F . 3d 12 62 , 12 84 (11th C i r. 2001) . W e r e vi e w de novo que s t i ons of s ubj e c tm a tt e rj ur i s di c t i on. M e ndoz av. U . S . A tt ’ y G e n. , 327 F . 3d 1283, 1287 n. 5 ( 11th C i r . 2003) . “ T he I J ’ s f i ndi ngs of f a c ta r e c onc l us i ve unl e s s the r e c or d de m ons tr a t e s tha t‘ a nyr e a s onabl e a dj udi c a t or w o u ld b e c o m p e lle d to c o n c lu d e to th e c o n tr a ry .’” I d . a t 1 2 8 7 ( q u o tin g 8 U .S .C . § 12 52 (b)( 4)(B )) . F ir s t, M o n c a d aR e s tr e p o a r g u e s th a t th e I Ja n d B I A e rr o n e o u s lyd e n ie d h is appl i c a t i on f

ora s y l um on the gr ound tha ti tw a s unt i m e l y , butthi s C ourtl a c ks j ur i s di c t i on ove rthi s i s s ue . T he I m m i gr a t i on A c tpr ovi de s , “ N o c ourts ha l l ha ve ju r is d ic tio n to r e v ie w a n y d e te rm in a tio n ” th a t a n ap p lic a tio n f o ra s y lu m is unt i m e l y . 8 U . S . C . § 1158( a ) ( 3) . “ [ S ] e c t i on 1158( a ) ( 3) di ve s t s ourC ourtof j ur i s di c t i on t o r e vi e w ade c i s i on r e ga r di ng w he the ra n a l i e n c om pl i e d w i th the o n e-year ti m e l i m i to r est ab l i sh ed ex trao rd i n ary ci rcu m st an ces th atw o u l d ex cu se hi s unt i m e l y f

i l i ng. ” M e ndoz a , 327 F . 3d a t1287. W e ha ve he l d tha tthe r e c e nt am endm entt o the Im m i grat i on A ct , se e 8 U . S . C . § 1 25 2(a) (2)( D ), do es no taf fe ct5

the j ur i s di c t i ona l ba rof s e c t i on 1158( a ) ( 3) . C ha c on- B ot e r o v. U . S . A tt ’ yG e n. , 427 F . 3d 95 4, 95 7 (11 th C i r. 20 05 ). S ec on d, M on ca da R es tre po ar gu es thatthe IJand B IA erroneou sl y deni ed hi s appl i c a t i on f

orw i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l . A n a l i e n m a ynotbe r e m ove d i f “ the alien ’s li fe o r f

re ed o m w o u ldb e th re aten ed in th at co u n try b ec au se o f th e a li en ’s ra ce , re 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 opi ni on. ” 8 U . S . C . § 1231( b) ( 3) ( A ) . “ T he a l i e n be a r s the bur de n of de m ons tr a t i ng tha ti ti s m or e l i ke l y tha n nots he w i l l be pe r s e c ut e d ort ortur e d upon be i ng r e tu rn e d to h e rc o u n try .” S e p u lv e d av . U .S . A tt’yG e n ., 4 0 1 F .3 d 1 2 2 6 , 1 2 3 3 ( 1 1 th C i r. 20 05 ) ( i nt ernal qu ot at i on s om i tt ed). T h e c o n c lu s io n o f

th e B I A a n d I Jth a t M o n c a d aR e s tr e p o f a ile d to s a tis f

y h is bur de n i s s upport e d by s ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e f ora tl e a s tthr e e r e a s ons . F i r s t , the th r e a ts a g a in s t M o n c a d aR e s tr e p o 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 . “[ P ]e r s e c u tio n is a n e x tr e m e c o n c e p t, r e q u ir in g m o r e th a n af e w is o la te d in c id e n ts o f v e rb a l h a r a s s m e n t o rin tim id a tio n , a n d . . . m e r e h a r a s s m e n t d o e s n o t a m o u n t to pe r s e c ut i on. ” S e pul ve da , 401 F . 3d a t1231 ( quot i ng G onz a l e z v. R e no, 212 F . 3d 1 3 3 8 , 1 3 5 5 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 0 ) ( in te rn a l q u o ta tio n m a rk s a n d m o d if ic a tio n s o m itte d ) ) . S e c ond, the e vi de nc e doe s notc om pe l the c onc l us i on tha tthe thr e a t s w e r e on a c c o u n t o f

ap r o te c te d g r o u n d ; M o n c a d aR e s tr e p o a d m itte d th a t th e p h o n e c a lls m a y h a v e b e e n m o tiv a te d b y h is te rm in a tio n o f e m p lo y e e s f

r o m h is b u s in e s s .6

T hi rd, M on ca da R es tre po “ never cont ac t ed the l ocal po l i ce or nat i on al l aw e nf or c e m e ntauthor i t i e s t o obt a i n pr ot e c t i on f r om [ F A R C ] , a nd the r e f or e c a nnot a r g u e p e r s u a s iv e lyth a t th e [ C o lo m b ia n ] g o v e rn m e n t is u n ab le o ru n w illin g to prot ec thi m . ” M az ar i egos v. U . S . A tt ’ y G en. , 24 1 F . 3d 13 20 , 13 27 (11th C i r. 2 0 0 1 ) . M o n c a d aR e s tr e p o ’s p e titio n f o rr e v ie w o f

th e o r d e r s o f

th e B I A a n d I Jis D EN I ED .