2009 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 3-17-2009 

# B inet a Lo v . Atty Ge n U SA P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 08-3500

F o llow thi s and a dd it ion al work s at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009

Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2009 D e c i sion s b y an author i z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or mor e inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " B ine t a L o v

. Atty Ge n U SA" (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1734. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/1734NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

___________ N o. 08- 3500

___________ BI NE T A F AT I M A L O, P eti ti o n er

v. A TTO RN EY G EN ER A L O F TH E U N I TED STA TES,

R es pondent

__________________________ Pet i t i on forR evi ew of an O r derof the U ni t ed St at es D epart m entof J us t i ce B o a rd o f Im m ig ra tio n A p p e a ls ( B I A N o. A 73 643 273) I m m i gr at i on J udge: Fr eder i c Leed

__________________________ Subm i tt ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

M ar ch 13, 2009 B efor e: R E N D E L L , FU E N T E S and N Y G A A R D , C i r cui tJ udges

( Fi l ed: M ar ch 17, 2009)

___________ OPI NI ON O F THE COURT

___________ P E R C UR I AM B i net a Fat i m a Lo pet i t i ons forr evi ew of an or derof the B oar d of I m m i gr at i on A ppeal s ( B I A ) , w hi ch di s m i s s ed herappea l fr om an I m m i gr at i on J udge’ s ( I J ’ s ) fi nalI tappea r s t hatw hatL o t ol d t he A s y l um O ffi ceri s s i m i l art o w hats he s ai d i n her1998 1 a s y l u m a p p l i c a t i o n , e x c e p tt h a ts h e t o l d th e As y l u m Of f i c e rth a th e rf

a t h e rb e c a me A m bas s adort o T ogo ats om e poi nt . A . R . 632. She l at erdi s cl ai m ed thats t at ementand s ai d t hatherfatherneverhel d t hatpos i t i on. A . R . 309. 2 r emoval or der . W e w i l l denyt he pet i t i on. L o is a n a tiv e a n d c itiz e n o f S e n e g a l. T h is c a s e h a s a lo n g a n d c o m p le x h is to ry. B eca us e the part i es ar e fa m i l i arw i t h the hi s t oryand fa ct s of the ca s e, w e w i l l r ecountt he event s i n s um m aryfas hi on. L o came t o t he U ni t ed St at es i n 1993 and appl i ed foras y l um i n 1994. T hatappl i cat i on s t at ed thats he w as per s ecut ed due t o i nvol vementi n pol i t i cs as a s tu d e n t in S e n e g a l. L o la te r d is a v o w e d th a t a p p lic a tio n , s ta tin g s h e h a d n e v e r r e a d it. A n A s y l um O ffi cerdecl i ned t o gr antL o as y l um , bas ed on an a dver s e cr edi bi l i t yfi ndi ng, and r efe r r ed hert o an I m m i gr at i on J udge ( I J ) . A . R . 630- 33. She fi l ed a s econd a s y l um appl i cat i on w i t h t he hel p of couns el i n 1998. A . R . 730- 38. A ccor di ng t o t hat 1 appl i cat i on, s he l i ved i n t he C as amance r egi on of Senega l w i t h heruncl e, w ho w as an act i ve mem berof the M ovementof D emocr at i c For ces of C as amance ( M FD C ) , w hi ch w a s a g ro u p re b e llin g a g a in s t th e g o v e rn m e n t a n d s e e k in g in d e p e n d e n c e f o r t h e re g io n . A .R . 7 3 3 . H e r p a re n ts liv e d in D a k a r, w h e re h e r f a th e r w a s a m in is te r i n th e g o v e rn m e n t. H eruncl e as ked hert o geti nform at i on fr om herfathert o s uppl yt o t he M FD C . I n r etur n, s h e was p r o mi s e d a p o s i t i o n wi t h t h e g o v e r n me n ti f M FDC w a s s u c c e s s f

u l . I d . Lo s ur r ept i t i ous l ycopi ed document s s he obt ai ned fr om herfatherand pr ovi ded them t o her uncl e on var i ous occa s i ons . O n one tr i p, the gr oup s he w as tr avel i ng w i t h w as s t opped by3

pol i ce, and s he w as s ear ched a nd t aken i nt o cus t ody . I d. T he pol i ce r eal i zed the document s s he w as carr y i ng m us thave c om e fr om i ns i de the governm ent . H erfatherw as abl e t o arr ange f

orherr el eas e. W hen s he r eturned t o C as amance, s he found thather u n c le h a d b e e n k ill e d a n d h is f a m ilyw a s m iss in g . A c c o rd in g to th e a p p lica tio n , sh e d id notknow i f the governm entort he M FD C had ki l l ed hi m . H erfatherw as for ced t o r es i gn fr om hi s pos i t i on beca us e of the pr obl ems, and Lo fl ed forthe U ni t ed St at es . I d. A ft ernum er ous cont i nuance s , L o appea r ed bef or e I J St r as s erfora hea r i ng on t he m e rits o n Ja n u a ry9 , 2 0 0 4 . A f ter sh e tes tifie d , the IJ a d jo u rn e d th e c a se f

o r a f e w d a y s to a l l o w Lo t o p r o d u c e h e rp a s s p o r t . W h e n th e c a s e r e c o n v e n e d o n Fe b ru a r y3 , 2 0 0 4 , Lo not ed thats he had j us tr ece i ved a l et t erfr om herat t orneyi n Senegal , and a l ett erfr om her father . T he ca s e w as adj our ned aga i n t o al l ow hert o obt ai n t r ans l at i ons . O n M ar ch 5, 2004, t he I J m arked the l et t er s as evi dence , and att empt ed t o cal l L o’ s at t orneyi n Senegal to g e t m o re in f

o rm a tio n , b u t th e a tto rn e ysa id th e c o n n e c tio n w a s n o t g o o d a n d h e c o u ld notans w er . T he part i es m ade a r r angement s t o t r yagai n, butthe r ecor d does notr efl ect t hat this ever t oo k p l ace. O n M arch 30 , 20 04 , L o d i d n ot appear atthe h eari ng becau se h e r c h ild w a s s ick . T h e IJ e n ter e d a n o rd e r o f re m o v a l, bu t L o su c c e ss f u llym o v e d to r eopen. L o’ s at t or neydi d notappea rforan A ugus t28, 2005 hear i ng. I J St r as s er appar ent l yr et i r ed orr es i gned, and I J Fr eder i c Leeds t ook t he ca s e and he ar d t es t i m onyonA l s o i n 2006, L o pr ovi ded a Sene gal es e w arr antforherarr es tfortr eas on, w i t h an 2 E n g lis h tr a n s la tio n . T h e w a rr a n t n o te s th a t tr e a s o n is p u n is h a b le b yd e a th . A .R . 6 3 4 -3 8 . T his do cum ent w as appa rent l yno tsentt o fo rensi cs. 4 A ugus t21, 2006. I J L eeds i ndi cat ed thathe had r evi ew ed the t es t i m onyfr om the 2 J anuary2004 hear i ng. T h e IJ d e n ie d a s y lu m a n d w ith h o ld in g b a s e d o n a n a d v e rs e c re d ib ility f in d in g . T he I J found num er ous di s cr epanc i es betw een Lo’ s t es t i m onyi n 2004 and hert es t i m ony i n 2 00 6 an d als o co m m ented on a l ack o f corroborat i on for part s of he r cl ai m . T he IJ al so n o ted th a t L o h a d f

a iled to p re se n t an yc re d ib le e v id e n c e th a t sh e w o u ld b e to rtu re d if r etur ned t o Senegal . T he I J hel d t hatthe fa ctthats he mi ghtfac e the dea t h penal t yfor t r eas on w as pr os ecut i on r athert han per s ecut i on. T he I J al s o not ed, w i t houtdeci di ng, t hat L o m ig h t b e f

o u n d to b e a ter ro rist. T he B IA ado pted and affirm ed the I J’ s deci si on . T he B IA fou nd the ad verse cr edi bi l i t yfi ndi ng “s uppor t ed bys peci fi c coge ntr eas ons forw hi ch the r es pondent pr ovi ded no r eas onabl e expl anat i ons . ” The B I A l i s t ed numer ous page number s fr om t he t r ans cr i pt s t o s uppor ti t s hol di ng. L o , p ro c e e d in g p ro s e , f ile d a tim e ly p e titio n f

o r r e v ie w , a lb e it in th e w ro n g c o u rt . T h e U n ite d S ta te s C o u rt o f A p p e a ls f

o r t h e S e c o n d C ir c u it tr a n s f e rr e d th e m a tte r h e re . W e d e n ied L o ’s m o tio n f o r a sta yo f

re m o v a l.T he pr ovi s i ons of the R eal I D A ctof 2005 r egar di ng cr edi bi l i t ydo notappl yt o cas es 3 s uch as t hi s one, w her e the as y l um appl i cat i on w as fi l ed l ong befor e the ena ctm entof the R eal I D A ct . R eal I D A ctof 2005, Pub. L . N o. 109- 13, D i v. B , § 101, 119 St at . 231 ( M ay 1 1 , 2 0 0 5 ). 5 A n adver s e cr edi bi l i t yfi ndi ng s houl d be uphel d t o t he ext enti ti s s uppor t ed by r eas onabl e, s ubs t ant i al and pr obat i ve evi dence on t he r ecor d cons i der ed as a w hol e, and s houl d onl ybe r ever s ed i f ther e i s evi dence s o compel l i ng thatno r eas onabl e fa ct fi nder co u ld co n clud e a s the IJ did . C au sh i v. A tt o rne yG en era l, 4 3 6 F . 3 d 2 2 0 , 2 2 5 (3d C ir . 2006) . A nydi s cr epanc i es m us ti nvol ve the hea r tof the cl ai m . I d. at229. W e hol d t hat 3 t he adve r s e cr edi bi l i t yfi ndi ng her e i s s uppor t ed bys ubs t ant i al evi dence . O ne conc ern i s L o’ s i ncons i s t entt es t i m onyr egar di ng herpas s por t . I n a s t at ement L o p ro v id e d w ith h e r 1 9 9 8 a sy lu m a p p lica tio n , A .R . 7 6 2 -6 3 ; sh e sta ted th a t sh e c a m e to th e U .S . in 1 9 9 3 , the n re tu rn e d to S e n e g a l af ter 6 m o n th s b e c a u se sh e th o u g h t th e tro u b le w as over . T he s t at ements ay s w hen s he r eturned herfathergave he ra l et t erfr om the g o v e r n m e n tt e l l i n g h e rs h e w o u l d h a v e t o l e a v e th e c o u n t r y. I d . I n h e r2 0 0 4 t e s t i m o n y, sh e re itera ted th a t sh e lef t S e n e g a l in 1 9 9 3 , the n re tu rn e d to S e n e g a l f o r a sh o rt tim e , six m ont hs l at er , i n 1994. She t es t i fi ed thatw hen s he w as ther e, s he w as i m pr i s oned for aboutt w o w eeks and bea t en. A . R . 130, 139. I n her2006 t es t i m ony , how ever , s he in s is te d th a t s h e n e v e r r e tu rn e d to S e n e g a l a f te r l e a v in g in 1 9 9 3 . A .R . 2 7 2 , 2 7 6 -7 7 . N evert hel es s , herpas s por tr efl ect ed a tr i p t o Senegal and r eturn i n 1994. A . R . 273. T he pas s por tal s o r efl ect ed a s t amp show i ng an entr yi nt o Senegal i n 1995. L o had6

m anydi ffe r entchangi ng expl anat i ons forthi s . Fi r s t , i n 2004, s he s ai d herpas s por thad b e e n s to le n , a n d s h e h a d n o id e a h o w it g o t s ta m p e d , a n d th a t it w a s m a ile d b a c k to h e r. A. R. 1 0 0 , 1 0 2 . Th e r e tu rn a d d r e s s wa s f r o m s o me wh e r e i n s i d e th e Un i t e d S t a t e s . A. R. 1 7 5 . In 2 0 0 6 , L o f

irst te stif ied th a t h e r m o th e r c a m e to th e U .S ., b o rro w e d h e r p a ss p o rt, and mai l ed i tback t o her . A . R . 242. T hen s he cha nged hert es t i m onyt o s aythather m o th e r to o k th e p a ss p o rt, b u t itg o t lo st a t th e a irp o rt w h e n h e r m o th e r trie d to se n d it b a c k . A .R . 2 4 4 -4 5 . L o s a id s h e m a d e a p o lic e re p o rt , b u t th e re p o rt w a s m a d e in S e n e g a l. She di d notfi l e a pol i ce r epor ti n t he U . S. unt i l 1997. A . R . 245. She t es t i fi ed thatthe Senegal es e pol i ce f

ound t he pas s por tand gave i tt o herpar ent s . A . R . 247. T h e m a tter o f

w h e th e r L o u se d h e r p a ss p o rt to re tu rn to S e n e g a l, an d w h e n , g o e s to t he h eartof h er cl ai m , becau se she cl ai m s that s he fe ared r eturni ng t o S eneg al . W e al so fi nd i tt r oubl i ng t hats he di s cl ai m ed herear l i ert es t i m onythats he had be en i m pr i s oned for t w o w eeks and bea t en i n Senegal i n 1994. A sec o n d p rob lem is L o ’s ch an g ing test im o n yab o u t ho w sh e lea rne d o f h er u n cle’s death. H eras y l um appl i cat i on s t at ed thatw hen s he r eturned t o C as amance, s he found that h e r u n c le h a d b e e n k ill e d a n d h is f a m ilyw a s m iss in g . A .R . 1 5 4 , 7 3 3 . S h e tes tifie d in 2004 t hatherfathert ol d herof heruncl e’ s death. A . R . 128. I n 2006, s he t es t i fi ed thather fatherdi d notknow aboutheruncl e’ s death. A . R . 266. T h e B IA a ls o n o te d th e p a g e o f te s tim o n yw h ic h n o w b e a rs th e n u m b e r A .R . 2 7 8 . T hatpage r efl ect s L o’ s t es t i m onyi n 2006 t hats he w as s ubj ect ed t o el ectr i c s hock w henL o ar gues t hats om e of the r eas ons the I J r el i ed on forhi s adver s e cr edi bi l i t yfi ndi ng 4 w er e i m pr oper . Fi r s t , s he ar gues t hathe s houl d have c r edi t ed herexpl anat i on thather m ot herhad us ed herpas s por t( as not ed above , w e di s agr ee, gi ven Lo’s s ever al changi ng expl anat i ons ) . She al s o ar gues t hatt he I J i m pr oper l yr el i ed on hi s di s bel i ef thatthe governm entof Senega l w oul d as s i s theri n arr angi ng t o have he rs t eps on come t o t he U ni t ed St at es , and thatt he I J w as i m pr oper l yconce r ned thatther e w as no arr es tw arr ant for her fat her. B ecause the B IA did not r el yon these l at t er tw o reasons, w e do no tdis cuss t hem her e. 7 sh e w a s in p riso n in S e n e g a l. L o m a d e n o m e n tio n o f h a v in g b e e n su b

jec ted to e lec tric s hocks i n herear l i erappl i cat i ons and t es t i m ony . G i ven Lo’s changi ng s t or i es r egar di ng herpas s por t , heruncl e’ s death, and the s udden i ntr oduct i on of t es t i m onyr egar di ng the el ect ri c shock s, w e ho l d thatt he record do es not com pel a r eversal of the adv ers e cr edi bi l i t yfi ndi ng. T hus , t he B I A pr oper l yaff i r m ed the I J ’ s deci s i on deny i ng as y l um and 4 w ith h o ld in g o f

re m o v a l. L o a rg u e s th a t th e IJ f

a iled to se p a ra telya n a ly z e w h e th e r sh e w o u ld b e su b jec ted to t or tur e i n Senegal . T he r ecor d s how s thatthe I J di d do a s epar at e ana l y s i s . Fur t her , the onl yevi dence t hats he w oul d be “t or tur ed” i s the Senega l es e w arr ant , s ee n. 2, s upr a, w hi ch sh o w s th a t sh e m ig h t b e su b jec ted to th e d e a th p e n a ltyif c o n v icte d o f

tre a so n . R e lief

is notavai l abl e underthe U ni t ed N at i ons C onvent i on A gai ns tT or tur e for“‘ pai n ors uffe r i ng ar i s i ng onl yfr om , i nher enti n ori nci dent al t o l aw ful s anct i ons , ’ defi ned t o ‘ i ncl ude j udi ci al l yi m pos ed s anct i ons and otherenfor cementact i ons author i zed byl aw , i ncl udi ng t he dea t h penal t y ’ . . . . ” Pi err e v. A t t orneyG ener al , 528 F. 3d 180, 195 ( 3d C i r . 2008) ( quot i ng 8 C . F. R . 208. 18( a) ( 1) & ( 3) ) . A l t hough herm ent i on of el ectr i c s hocks m i ghtbe8

evi dence of pas tt or tur e, hert es t i m onyi n t hatr egar d i s notcr edi bl e, as s he di d notm ent i on th e e le c tr ic s h o c k s in a n ya p p lic a tio n , in te rv ie w o r p re v io u s te s tim o n y . F o rt h e f o r e g o i n g r e a s o n s , we wi l l d e n yth e p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w.