# 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 8- 13 58

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Man ue l Go ch ez-C as tro

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

v.

W il li am P. Barr, At to rn ey

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: Marc h 1 3, 2 01 9 Fi le d: Apri l 3 0, 2 01 9 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re SHEPHERD, ARNOLD, and ERICKSON, Ci rcu it Ju dg es

.

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PER CURI AM.

A fte r th e go ve rn m en t rem ov ed Man ue l Ant on io Goc he z-Ca st ro fro m t h e Uni te d St at es in 20 06
, he il le ga ll y reen t e r e d t he co un try in 20 10

. W he n th e
go ve rn m en t s ou gh t to rei ns ta te hi s p rio r rem ov al ord er, Go ch ez-C as tro ex pr es se d a fear of be in g ret ur ne d to hi s na ti ve El Sal va do r. He as se rte d t h a t a g an g in El Sal va do r ha d ta rg e t e d h i m f or pe rs ecu ti on be cau se he fo rm erl y wor ke d fo r th ena ti on al po li ce in an ad m in is tra ti ve cap aci ty. An im m ig rat io n jud ge di dn 't fin d hi s

st or y cred ib le —a de ci s i o n t h e Bo ard of Im m ig rat io n App eal s up he ld

. He no w
pe ti ti on s fo r rev ie w in ou r co ur t. Bec au se we th in k su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce su pp or ts th e
ag en cy 's c red ib il it y

fin di ng s, we d en y

th e p et it io n.

W e rev ie w th e BIA's de ci si on as th e fin al ag en cy de ci si on , bu t to th e ex te nt th e BIA ad op te d th e fin di ng s or reas on in g of th e IJ
, we al so rev ie w th e IJ 's de ci si on

. Deg be v. Se ss io ns , 89 9 F.3 d 65 1, 65 5 (8 th Ci r. 20 18 ). To be el ig ib le fo r th e rel ie f th at Goc he z-Ca st ro se ek s— wit hh ol di ng of rem ov al —h e m us t sh ow th at he face s a cl ear
pr ob ab il it y th a t , in th e co un try to whi ch th e IJ or de red hi m rem ov ed
, hi s li fe or free do m wou ld be th reat e n e d on acco un t of race , r el ig io n, na ti on al it y , m em be rs hi p in a pa rti cu la r so ci al gr ou p, or po li ti cal op in io n. Ala vez -Her na nd ez v. Hol de r , 71 4
F.3 d 10 63
, 10 66 (8 th Ci r. 20 13 ). W e rev ie w th e ag en cy 's de ci si on on wit hh ol di ng of

rem ov al fo r su bs ta nt ia l ev id en ce, an d "[t ]he IJ 's f i n d i ng s, in cl ud in g cred ib il it y de te rm in at io ns , are co nc lu si ve un le ss an y reas on ab le ad j udi ca tor w ould be co m

pe ll ed

to co nc lu de to th e co n tra ry ." R.K.N. v. Hol de r , 70 1 F.3 d 53 5, 53 7 (8 th Ci r. 20 12 ). Si nc e an IJ "i s in th e be st po si ti on to m ak e cred ib il it y fin di ng s be cau se he or sh e se es th e w i t n e s s e s as th e te st im on y is gi ve n," id

. at 53 8, a cred ib il it y de te rm in at io n "re cei ve s gr eat de fere nc e." Eten yi v. Lyn ch
, 79 9 F.3 d 10 03
, 10 06 –0 7 (8 th Ci r. 20 15 ).

The IJ an d BIA ga ve se ve ral sp eci fic
, co ge nt reas on s fo r di sb el ie vi ng Goc he zCas tro

. Fo r ex am

pl e, Goc he z-Ca st ro pr es en te d le tt ers pu rp or te dl y fro m th e na ti on al

po li ce of El Sal va do r wit h se ve r a l pe cu li ari ti es : The y co nt ai ne d no ad dr es se s or

co nt act in fo rm at i o n ; th ey co nt ai ne d od d m is sp el li ng s of "El Sal va do r" in th ei r he ad in gs ; th ey co nt ai ne d di ffer en t se al s; an d th ey co nt ai ne d th e si gn at ur es of of fic ers who pu rp or te dl y si gn ed th e Sp an is h o r i g i na ls on Eng li sh ve rs io ns ap pa ren tl y
tra ns la te d i n th e Uni te d Stat es

. The IJ an d B IA al so th ou gh t i t cu rio us th at Goch ezCas tro ha d fai le d to pr ov id e do cu m en ta ti on of hi s fat he r's de at h whe n he cl ai m ed th at th e ga ng ha d al so m

ur de red hi s fat he r fo r wor ki ng wit h th e na ti on al po li ce. Giv en th at Goc he z-Ca st ro wor ke d fo r th e po li ce, th e IJ no te d th at ga th eri ng do cu m en ta ti on fro m

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-th e po li ce sh ou ld no t ha ve be en ov erl y di ffi cu lt

. Goc he z-Ca st ro 's m ot he r, m or eo ve r,

su bm it te d a le tt er on hi s be ha lf th at om it te d an y refe ren ce to hi s fat he r's de at h or th e fact th at Goc he z-Ca st ro was se nd in g he r on e th ou sa nd do ll ars each m on th to sa ti sf y th e ga ng 's ex to rti on at e de m an ds
, whi ch Goc he z-Ca st ro sa id he ha d be en do in g. The
IJ an d BIA al so fo un d it st ran ge th at Goc he z-Ca st ro di d no t rep or t an al le ge d at ta ck

on hi m se lf or hi s fath er to th e po li ce gi ve n hi s em pl oym en t th ere. And we de te ct no fau lt in th e IJ an d BIA gi vi ng th reat en in g l et te rs di rect ed to Goc he z-Ca st ro li tt le to

no weig ht
, si nc e Goc he z-Ca st ro fai le d to sh ow who ha d writ te n th em , whe n th ey were writ te n, o r whe re t he y

cam e fro m

.

On th is reco rd
, th eref

or e, we can no t sa y th at a reas on ab l e ad jud ic at or wou ld be co m pe ll ed to co nc lu de th at Goc he z-Ca st ro was cred ib le

. "Th e co m bi na ti on of an ad ve rs e cred ib il it y fin di ng an d a la ck of co rro bo rat in g ev id en ce fo r th e cl ai m of

pe rs ecu ti on m ean s th at th e ap pl ic an t's cl ai m fai ls ." Ali v. Hol de r , 77 6 F.3 d 52 2, 52 6 (8 th Cir . 20 15 ).

Pet it io n d en ie d.

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