NOT FOR PUB LIC A TION UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C U IT
C ATHERINE PHIR I, ) No. 10-73513 ) Pe titione r, ) Age n c y No. A095-198-920 ) v. ) ) M EM OR

A NDUM * ER IC H. HOLDER , Jr., Attorne y ) Ge ne ra l, ) ) R e sponde nt. ) )

On Pe tition for Re vie w of a n Orde r of the B oa rd of Im m igration Appe a ls Subm itte d Nove m

be r 18, 2014 * * San Fran c isc o , C a lifornia B e fore : FER

NANDEZ a

nd IKUTA, C irc uit Judge s, a nd DANIEL, *** Distric t Judge
. C athe rine Phiri (“ Phiri” ) pe titions for re vie w of the B oa rd of Im m igration 

# FIL ED
DEC 03 2014 M OLLY C. DW Y E R, CLERK U. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a

ppropria te for public ation a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by 9th C ir. R . 36-3.

** T he pa ne l una nim ously finds this c a se suita

ble for de c ision without ora l argum e nt. Fe d. R . App. P. 34(a)(2).

*** The Honora

ble W ile y Y. Da

nie l, Se nior Unite d State s Distric t Judgefor the D istric t of C olora do, sitting by de signa tion.Appe a ls’ (“ B IA” ) de nia l of he r a pplic ation for a sy lum
. 1 Se e 8 U.S.C . § 1158. W e de ny the pe tition. (1) Phiri first a sse rts tha t the B IA e rre d be c a

use it uphe l d a

de c ision of a
ne w Im m igration Judge(“ IJ” ) tha t wa s issue d a fte r a

re m and 2 by

the B IA whe n it de te rm i ne d tha

t the re wa s no tra

nsc ript (or re c ording) of thefirst he a ring a nd de c ision. W e disa gre e . As the B IA sta te d, Phiri a

nd the gove rnm e nt e ffe c tive ly stipula te d tha t the IJ should c onduc t a

ne w he aring a

nd issuea ne w de c i sion. C e rta inly , Phiri did not obje c t to tha t a pproa c h whe n she wa s be fore the IJ a nd, in fa c t , e xpre ssly

e m bra c e d it. Theissue wa s wa ive d. Se e Gonz a le z -R ive ra v. INS, 22 F.3d 1441, 1444 (9th C ir. 1994). In a ny e ve nt, the B IA’ s re m a

nd orde r did not
re stric t the sc ope of the IJ’ s a uthority to re he a r an d re de c ide the c a se upon re m and; it e xpa nsive ly indic ate d tha

t the IJ c ould ta

k e a ll “ ne c e ssa

ry and a ppropria t e ” ste ps. Due to tha

t la c k of e xpre ss limi tations, theIJ wa s not fore c lose d from proc e e ding
a s he did. Se e Fe rnande s v. Holde r, 619 F.3d 1069, 1074 (9th C ir. 2010). Thus, the B IA did not e rr. 3

1 B e c a u se she doe s not a

rgue de nia l of withholding or C onve ntion Against Torture re lie f on a

ppe a l, thoseissue s a

re wa ive d. R iz k v. Holde r, 629 F.3d 1083, 1091 n.3 (9th C ir. 2011).

2 Se e 8 C .F.R . § 1003.1(d)(7).
3 Phiri a lso a

rgue s tha t he r due proc e ss rights were viola te d be c a use the IJ (c ontinue d...) 2(2) Phiri the n a rgue s tha t the B IA e rre d whe n it a g re e d with theIJ tha t she
wa s not c re dible
. The B IA’ s de te rm ination tha t a n a lie n is not e ligiblefor a sy lum m ust be uphe ld if “ ‘ supporte d by re a sona ble , substa

ntia l, a n d proba tive e vide nc e on the
re c o rd c onside re d a s a

whole .’ ” INS v. Elia s-Za c aria s, 502 U.S. 478, 481, 112 S. C t. 812, 815, 117 L. Ed. 2d 38 (1992). “ It c an be re ve rse d only

if the e vide n c e pre s e nte d . . . wa s suc h tha t a re a sona ble fa c tfinde r would ha

ve to c onc lude tha

t the
re quisite ” pe rse c ution e xiste d. Id.; se e a lso Fa rah v. Ashc roft, 348 F.3d 1153, 1156 (9th C ir. 2003). W

h e n a n a lie n se e ks to ove rturn theB IA’ s a dve rse de te rm i nation,

“ he m ust show tha

t the e vide nc e he pre se nte d wa s so c o m pe lling tha

t no
re a s ona ble fa c t finde r c o uld fa il to find the re quisite ” pe rse c ution. Elia s-Za c aria s, 502 U.S. a

t 483–84, 112 S. C t. at 817. The sam e sta nda rd a pplie s to c re dibility de te rm i nations. Se e L anz a v. Ashc roft, 389 F.3d 917, 933 (9th C i r. 2004); Alva re z -Santos v. INS, 332 F.3d 1245, 1254 (9th Cir. 2003). Howe v e r, whe n a de te rm i nation is ba se d upon c re dibility , “ ‘ a spe c ific , c oge nt re a son’ ” for

3 (...c ontinue d) pre p are d a

writte n orde r be fore the e nd of the se c o nd e vide ntia ry he aring. No doubt, a l ie ns a

re e ntitle d to dueproc e ss. Se e Ze tino v. Holder, 622 F.3d 1007, 1013 (9th C ir. 2010). Howe ve r, Phiri wa s give n a full a nd fa ir opportunity

to pre s e nt he r c a se . Se e id.; Iba rra -Flore s v. Gonz a le s, 439 F.3d 614, 620–21 (9th C ir. 2006). M ore ove r, the re c o rd shows tha t the IJ fully

c onside re d a ll of the e vide nc e an d did not issue his de c ision until the

e n d of the he aring. 3disbe lie ving thea lie n m ust be offe re d. Guo v. Ashc roft, 361 F.3d 1194, 1199 (9th C ir. 2004). W e have re v i e we d

the re c ord a

nd a re satisfie d tha

t the B IA’ s de c ision wa s supporte d by substa

ntia l e vide nc e . 4 The B IA de te rm i ne d tha t Phiri la c ke d
c re d ibility

be c a use of inc onsiste nc ie s tha t we nt to the he art of he r a sy lum c la im
. Se e R iz k, 629 F.3d a

t 1087–88, 1091; Ka

ur v. Gonz a le s, 418 F.3d 1061, 1067 (9th C ir. 2005); Li v. Ashcroft, 378 F.3d 959, 964 (9th C ir. 2004). For e xam ple , the disc re pa nc ie s inc lude d: the nature of he r fathe r’ s politic a l vie ws or a c t ivitie s in Zim ba bwe ; whe the r she ha d politic a l vie ws or wa s involve d in politic a l a c tivity ; whe n he r fa the r wa s a

bduc te d; whe n he r husba

nd wa s a bduc te d; whe n she wa s
a c tua lly in Zim ba bwe and whe n in Za

m bia ; whe the r she wa s in fa c t a c itiz e n of Zim ba bwe or of Za

m bia or of both; 5 and e ve n he r dat e of birth. In short, we are
una ble to sa y tha t a “ re a sona ble fa c tfinde r would ha

ve to c onc lude ” tha

t she suffe re d pa st pe rse c ution. Elia s-Za c aria s, 502 U.S. a t 481, 112 S. C t. at 815. Pe tition DENIED.

4 W e note tha

t Phiri c la im s e ntitle m e nt to hum anita rian a s y lum

only . Se e 8 C .F.R . § 1208.13(b)(1)(iii); B e lishta v. Ashc roft, 378 F.3d 1078, 1080 (9th C ir. 2004).
5 On c onflic ting e vide nc e the IJ fina l ly de c ide d tha

t she wa s a

c itiz e n of Zam bia , whic h the B IA a c c e pte d. 4