FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEV EN T HC IRC U IT AUG 24 , 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. 06- 10098 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ A ge nc y N o. A 96- 018- 073 S O K O L K R O I , P e titio n e r - A p p e lla n t, 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- A p p e lle e .

________________________ P e t i t i on f orR e vi e w of

a D 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

_________________________ ( A u gu s t 24, 2006) B efo re T JO F L A T , B A R K E T T an d K R A V IT C H , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: S okol K r oi , a na t i ve a nd c i t i z e n of A l ba ni a , pe t i t i ons thi s c our tf orr e vi e w ofAlthough K roi sought withholding of removal before the IJ , he did not addre ss the 1 denial of that claim in his appeal to the B IA. Acc ording ly , we lack jurisdiction to consider the claim. 8 U.S.C. § 1252(d)( 1) (“A cour t may review a f

inal order of removal only

if . . . the alien h a s e xh a u s te d alla dmin is trativ ere me die s av ail a b letoth eali ena s o f

right. . . . ” ) ; F er

n an d e zBernal v. U.S. Att’y

Gen., 257 F .3d 1304, 1317 n.13 (11th Cir. 2001) (holdingthat beca use the petition e r f

aile d toraisean is su ebe fo retheB IA, “wedono t ha vejurisdic tio n toc on sider it here ”). In addition, Kroi has not raised any argument on appeal challeng ing thedenial of relief under theConvention Ag ainst Torture, a nd, there fore , he has a

bandoned that issue. Sepulveda v. U.S. Att’y

Gen., 401 F .3d 1226, 1228 (11th Cir. 2005). The Home land Security

Act (“ HSA”), e ffe ctive November 25, 2002, created the 2 Depa rtment of Homela

nd Security

(“D HS”) a

nd abolished the I

NS. Pub. L . No. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135. The HSA transferre d I NS functions to the DHS. Be causethis case wa s initi ated by th eIN S wh i l es t i l li ne x i s t e n c e , w ere f e r t o th eIN S rath er

th anth eD H S a s th ere l e v antag en c y. 2 the f i na l or de rof

the B oa r d of

I m m i gr a t i on A ppe a l s ( “ B I A ” ) , a f f i r m i ng the i m m i gr a t i on j udge ’ s ( “ I J ” ) or de rof r e m ova l a nd de ni a l of

a s y l um r e l i e f

ba s e d on a n a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty de t e r m i na t i on. B e c a us e w e f i nd tha tthe I J ga ve s pe c i f i c a nd 1 c oge ntr e a s ons f

orthe a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty de t e r m i na t i on a nd the de c i s i on t o de ny r e l i e f i s s uppor t e d by s ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e , w e de ny the pe t i t i on. I . B a c kgr ound K r oi s oughtt o e nt e rthe U ni t e d S t a t e s us i ng f a l s e doc um e nt s , a nd the Im m i grat i on and N atural i za t i on S ervi ce (“ IN S ”) i ss ued h i m a N ot i ce t o A pp ea r, 2 c h a r g in g h im w ith r e m o v ab ility u n d e rI N A § § 2 1 2 ( a ) ( 6 ) ( C ) ( i) a n d ( 7 ) ( A ) ( i) ( I ) , 8 U . S . C . § 1 18 2(a) (6)( C )( i ) a nd (a )( 7)(A )( i )( I) . U po n K roi ’ s a rr i val i n the U ni t ed S t at es , IN S offi ci al s c on du ct ed a c re di bl e f ea r i nt ervi ew ; they not ed thatK roi had used fa l se do cum ent s i n an att em ptt o g ai n adm i ss i on bu tfoun d cre di bl e f ea r bas ed3

on po l i t i ca l op i ni on . K roi re fuse d t o si gn the i nt ervi ew form s, tho ug h h e s t at ed th ath e u n d erst o o d th e p ro cess an d q u est i o n s. I n 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 , K r oi s t a t e d tha the ha d be e n pe r s e c ut e d ba s e d on hi s pol i t i c a l opi ni on a nd i nvol ve m e ntw i th the D em ocra t i c P arty i n A l bani a. H e f urther s t at ed thathe had b ee n arr es t ed three t i m es and thatm em bers of the go verni ng S oci al i stP arty had bu rned do w n h i s s t ore a n d th r e a te n e d to k id n ap h is s o n . F in a lly , K r o i in d ic a te d th a t h e h a d b e e n a p a r ty m e m be rs i nc e 1994. A t h is h e a r in g b e f

o r e th e I J , K r o i s u b m itte d s e v e r a l d o c u m e n ts , in c lu d in g h is b ir th c e r tif

ic a te , a D e m o c r a tic P a r ty m e m b e r s h ip c a r d a n d a le tte ra tte s tin g to h is m em bers hi p, a docum enti nd i ca t i ng thatK roi ’ s gra nd fa ther had been a poli t i ca l pr i s one r , ne w s pape ra r t i c l e s a nd r e por t s on c ondi t i ons i n A l ba ni a . T he gove rnm e nt s ubm i tt e d c opi e s of

the S t a t e D e pa r tm e ntC ountry R e por t s f or2002 a nd 2003. K roi then t es t i fi ed as fol l ow s: H e l i ved w i th h i s w i fe and son i n A l bani a, w here he had b ee n a m em ber of the D em ocra t i c P arty s i nce 199 2. H e had been threa t ened and p er se cut ed by m em bers of the S oci al i stP arty s i nce 199 7, atw hi ch t i m e m e m be r s of

the P a r ty burne d dow n hi s s t or e . H e w a s a rr e s t e d thr e e t i m e s by the S ec re tP ol i ce , i n 1 99 8, 19 99 and 2 00 1. T he 19 98 arre stoccurre d w hi l e he w as pa r t i c i pa t i ng i n a D e m oc r a t i c P a r ty r a l l y ; he w a s de t a i ne d f or24 hour s , de ni e d f

ood4

a n d w a te ra n d b e a te n . I n 1 9 9 9 , h e w a s a g a in a rr e s te d d u r in g a D e m o c r a tic P a r ty r a l l y ; thi s t i m e he w a s be a t e n a nd w a rne d t o c ha nge hi s vi e w s . D ur i ng the 2001 e le c tio n s , h e w a s a rr e s te d a t a p o llin g p la c e w h ile h e w a s m o n ito r in g a n e le c tio n . T he m e n w ho a rr e s t e d hi m s how e d the i rba dge s a nd the n de t a i ne d hi m f ors i x or s e ve n hour s , r e l e a s i ng hi m w he n the e l e c t i on w a s ove r . A ddi t i ona l l y , pr i ort o the 2 0 0 1 e le c tio n , K r o i w a s a g a in th r e a te n e d , a n d w h e n h e r e f u s e d to c h a n g e h is v i ew s, h e w as b eat en an d l eftu n co n sci o u s. S o ci al i stP arty m em b ers al so thr e a t e ne d t o ki dnap hi s s on. K roi further t es t i fi ed thathe l ef tthe A l bani a i n D ec em ber 200 2. H e had w a nt e d t o l e a ve e a r l i e rbutdi d notha ve the m e a ns t o do s o. H e tr a ve l e d t o the U ni t e d S t a t e s vi a G r e e c e a nd F r a nc e . H e di d nots e e k a s y l um i n F r a nc e be c a us e he had n o sup po rtsy st em there ; he has a n aun ti n the U ni t ed S t at es . K roi t es t i fi ed that he w as af

ra i d t o return t o A l bani a bec ause the S oci al i st s r em ai n i n p ow erand, even i f he r el ocat ed, the S oci al i st s w ou l d fi nd hi m , and h i s l i fe w ou l d b e i n d anger. B ef ore quest i on i ng K roi , the go vernm entsubm i tt ed a f orensi c r eport c onc e rni ng the doc um e nt s K r oi ha d s ubm i tt e d. T he r e por ti ndi c a t e d tha tthe do cum ent s c ou l d n otbe authent i ca t ed and thattw o o f the do cum ent s w er e notw hat the y purpor t e d t o be . O n c r os s - e xa m i na t i on, K r oi a dm i tt e d tha thi s w i f e a nd s on, wh o r e m a i n e d b e h i n d i n Al b a n i a , h a d n o te x p e r i e n c e d a n y tr o u b l e s i n c e h e l e f t . He5

al so ac kn ow l edged thathe had sub m i tt ed fa l se entrydo cum ent s a nd thathe had re fuse d t o si gn do cum ent s provi ded b y c ust om s off i ci al s, tho ug h h e e xp l ai ned that h is r e f u s a l w a s b a s e d o n a la c k o f u n d e r s ta n d in g o f

th e p r o c e s s a n d th e in te rp r e te r . H e t es t i fi ed thathe had n otas ked for a di ff er enti nt erpret erbecause he f ea re d that such a r equestw ou l d m ake thi ng s w orse . T he gove rnm e nta s ke d K r oi w hy he ha d i ndi c a t e d i n hi s appl i c a t i on tha the ha d j oi ne d the D e m oc r a t i c P a r ty i n 1994 a nd the n t e s t i f i e d tha the ha d j oi ne d the P arty i n 1 9 9 2 . K ro i ex p l ai n ed th ath e h adb eco m e m o re act i v e i n 1 9 9 4 . H e al so e xpl a i ne d tha the c ont i nue d t o f e a rf orhi s l i f e be c a us e , a l though the c urr e nt p r e s id e n t w a s a m e m b e ro f th e D e m o c r a tic P a r ty , th e p r e s id e n t h a s little p o w e rin A lb a n ia b e c a u s e th e p r im e m in is te rc o n tr o ls th e g o v e rn m e n t. T he I J de ni e d r e l i e f

, m a ki ng a n a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty de t e r m i na t i on ba s e d on th e f a ls e d o c u m e n ts , th e c o n f u s io n o v e rd a te s a n d K r o i’s la c k o f c o o p e r a tio n w ith au th o ri t i es u p o n arri v al . T h e IJ al so fo u n d th atK ro i h ad n o test ab l i sh ed p ast pe r s e c ut i on oraw e l l - f

ounde d f e a rof f utur e pe r s e c ut i on. K r o i ap p e a le d to th e B I A , c h a lle n g in g th e I J ’s r e lia n c e o n th e f o r e n s ic r e por ta nd the a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty f i ndi ng a s w e l l a s the de c i s i on on the m e r i t s . T he B I A s um m a r i l y a f

f i r m e d. I I . D i s c us s i on6

K r oi a r gue s tha tthe I J e rr e d i n m a ki ng a n a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty de t e r m i na t i on because a ny i ncon si st ency re gardi ng the dat e he j oi ned the D em ocra t i c P arty w as m i no r a nd no tre l evant . H e f urther not es thatthe heari ng tra nscr i ptcont ai ns m uch i nd ec i ph er abl e t es t i m on y, w hi ch he cont ends m akes appel l at e r evi ew i m po ss i bl e. K r o i a s s e r ts th a t th e I J im p r o p e r ly r e lie d o n th e f o r e n s ic r e p o r t to d is c r e d it h is t e s t i m ony be c a us e the r e por tf a i l e d t o of

f e ra ny c onc l us i ons aboutthe va l i di ty of the doc um e nt s ore xpl a i n how the y w e r e s us pe c t , butr a the ri ndi c a t e d tha tthe doc um e nt s c oul d notbe ve r i f i e d. K r oi ne xta r gue s tha tthe I J e rr e d by r e qui r i ng authent i ca t i on of hi s docum ent s bec ause un authent i ca t ed do cum ent s m aybe used t o s uppor ta n a s y l um appl i c a t i on. H e not e s tha the r e c e i ve d the f or e ns i c r e por ton the da y of

the he a r i ng e ve n though the r e por tw a s c om pl e t e d s om e f i f t e e n m onths e a r l i e r . H e c l a i m s tha t , a s a r e s ul t , K r oi di d notha ve s uf f i c i e ntt i m e t o c ha l l e nge th e r e p o r t, a n d th e I J ’s d e te r m in a tio n w a s m a d e b a s e d o n a n in c o m p le te r e c o r d . F i na l l y , K r oi a r gue s tha the s a t i s f i e d hi s bur de n of

s how i ng hi s e l i gi bi l i ty f or as yl um re l i ef

because he e st abl i shed pastpers ec ut i on base d o n h i s pol i t i ca l opi ni on. K r oi c ont e nds tha tthe gove rnm e ntf a i l e d t o r e butthe pr e s um pt i on of future pers ec ut i on and thatthe IJerre d b y c on si deri ng w hether he had saf e haven i n F ra nce.7

W h er e, as h er e, “a sin g le m em b ero f th e B IA su m m ar il y a ff irm s th e I J’s deci si on w i tho utan op i ni on , . . . the IJ ’ s dec i si on becom es the fi nal re m ov al order subj ec tt o revi ew . ” R ui z v. U . S . A tt orney G en. , 44 0 F . 3d 12 47 , 12 54 (11th C i r. 2006) . “ T o the e xt e nttha tthe I J ’ s de c i s i on w a s ba s e d on a l e ga l de t e r m i na t i on, our r e vi e w i s de novo. ” I d. W e r e vi e w the I J ’ s f a c tua l de t e r m i na t i ons unde rthe subst ant i al evi dence t es t , and w e “ m ustaf fi rm the [I J’ s] deci si on i f i ti s s up po rt ed b y reaso n ab l e, su b st an t i al , an d p ro b at i v e ev i d en ce o n th e reco rd co n si d ered as a w hol e . ” I d. a t1254- 55.

“ U nde rthe s ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e t e s t , w e r e vi e w the r e c or d e vi de nc e i n the lig h t m o s t f

a v o r ab le to th e a g e n c y ’s d e c is io n a n d d r a w a ll r e a s o n ab le in f e r e n c e s in fa vo r of thatdeci si on . ” A defe m i v. A shcr oft , 38 6 F . 3d 10 22 , 10 27 (11th C i r. 20 04 ) ( en banc). T hu s, a f i nd i ng of fa ctw i l l be re vers ed “ on l y w hen the re cord c om pe l s a r e ve r s a l ; the m e r e f a c ttha tthe r e c or d m a y s uppor ta c ontr a ry c onc l us i on is n o t e n o u g h to ju s tif

y a r e v e r s a l o f

th e a d m in is tr a tiv e f

in d in g s .” I d . A c r e d ib ility det erm i nat i on i s afa ctual fi nd i ng and i s r evi ew ed un der the subst ant i al evi dence te s t. R u iz , 4 4 0 F .3 d a t 1 2 5 5 . T he A tt orne y G e ne r a l ha s di s c r e t i on t o gr a nta s y l um i f a n a l i e n m e e t s the IN A ’ s d efi n i t i o n o f “ refu g ee, ” w h i ch co v ers: a n y p e r s o n w h o is o u ts id e a n y c o u n try o f s u c h p e r s o n ’s n a tio n a lity or , i n the c a s e of

a pe r s on ha vi ng no na t i ona l i ty , i s out s i de a ny8

c o u n try in w h ic h s u c h p e r s o n la s t h ab itu a lly r e s id e d , a n d w h o is u n ab le o ru n w illin g to r e tu rn to , a n dis u n ab le o ru n w illin g to a v a il hi m s e l f orhe r s e l f

of the pr ot e c t i on of

, tha tc ountry be c a us e of pers ec ut i on or a w el l -f

ou nd ed fe arof pers ec ut i on on ac coun tof ra ce , r e l i gi on, na t i ona l i ty , m e m be r s hi p i n a pa r t i c ul a rs oc i a l gr oup, or p o litic a l o p in io n . . . . IN A § 1 01 (a )( 42 )( A ), 8 U . S . C . § 1 10 1(a) (42)(A ). “ T he as yl um appl i ca ntca rr i es the bu rden of prov i ng st atut ory ‘ re fugee’ st atus. ” D -M uh um ed v. U . S . A tt orney G en . , 3 8 8 F . 3 d 8 1 4 , 8 1 8 (1 1 th C i r. 2 0 0 4 ). T o m eetth i s b u rd en , th e al i en m u st es t abl i sh, w i th speci fi c a nd cr edi bl e e vi dence: (1) pas tpers ec ut i on on ac coun tof a s t a tut or i l y l i s t e d f

a c t oror( 2) a “ w e l l - f

ounde d f e a r ” tha ta s t a tut or i l y l i s t e d f a c t or w i l l c a us e f

utur e pe r s e c ut i on. 8 C . F . R . § 208. 13( a ) , ( b) ; A l N a jj a r , 257 F . 3d 1262, 12 87 (11th C i r. 20 01 ). I f the a l i e n e s t abl i s he s pa s tpe r s e c ut i on, the bur de n s hi f t s t o the gove rnm e nt t o pr ove by a pr e ponde r a nc e of the e vi de nc e tha t( 1) “ [ t ] he r e ha s be e n a fu n d am en t al ch an g e i n ci rcu m st an ces su ch th atth e [al i en ] n o l o n g er h as a w e l l - f ounde d f e a rof pe r s e c ut i on [ or( 2) the a l i e n] c oul d a voi d f utur e pe r s e c ut i on b y r e lo c a tin g to a n o th e rp a r t o f th e c o u n try . . . .” 8 C .F .R . § 2 0 8 .1 3 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( i) , ( ii) . A n a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty de t e r m i na t i on m a y a l one s uppor tthe de ni a l of a s y l um r e l i e f . F or gue v. U . S . A tt orne y G e n. , 401 F . 3d 1282, 1287 ( 11th C i r . 2005) . I f the I J de t e r m i ne s tha tthe a l i e n l a c ks c r e di bi l i ty , the I J m us tof f e rs pe c i f i c , c oge nt re as o n s f o r th e f in d in g ; th e b u rd en th en sh ifts to th e a li en to sh o w th at th e I J’s9

c r e di bi l i ty de t e r m i na t i on w a s notba s e d by “ s pe c i f i c , c oge nt ” r e a s ons orw a s not s uppor t e d by s ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e . I d. H e r e , th e I J d e te r m in e d th a t K r o i la c k e d c r e d ib ility b e c a u s e : ( a ) h is t es t i m on y abo utw hen h e j oi ned the party w as i ncon si st ent ; (b) he w as un coop er at i ve w i th o ff

i ci al s upo n arr i val i n the U ni t ed S t at es ; and (c) he subm i tt ed no c orr obor a t i ng e vi de nc e of hi s pa r ty m e m be r s hi p be c a us e he di d notc onf i r m the au th en t i ci ty o f th e d o cu m en t s h e su p p l i ed t o th e IJ. K r o i d is c u s s e s th e a u th e n tic ity o f th e d o c u m e n ts h e s u b m itte d to th e I J in de t a i l . E ve n a s s um i ng tha tthe doc um e nt s K r oi s uppl i e d w e r e va l i d, how e ve r , the r e c o r d d o e s n o t c o m p e l th e c o n c lu s io n th a t K r o i’s te s tim o n y w a s c r e d ib le . F ir s t, K roi prov i ded n o sup po rt i ng evi dence re gardi ng hi s a rr es t s i n A l bani a or the fa ct thathi s busi ness w as bu rned do w n. S ec on d, the coun tryre po rt s s ub m i tt ed t o the IJ do no tdi ct at e the concl usi on thatm em bers of the D em ocra t i c P arty i n A l bani a a re s ubj e c tt o pe r s e c ut i on. T hi r d, K r oi ga ve i nc ons i s t e nta ns w e r s on hi s a s y l um ap p li ca ti o n an d in testim o n y r eg ar d in g w h en h e jo in ed th e P ar ty. F in ally, K ro i’ s la c k o f c o o p e r a tio n w ith o f

f ic ia ls u p o n a rr iv a l s u p p o r ts th e I J ’s a d v e r s e c r e d ib ility fin d in g s. A ll o f th is, t ak en to g eth er , su p p o rts th e I J’s c o n clu sio n th at K ro i’ s te s tim o n y la c k e d c r e d ib ility .10

F in a lly , w e n o te th a t p o r tio n s o f th e h e a r in g tr a n s c r ip t b e f o r e th e I J in d ic a te thatt es t i m on y w as i nd i sc erni bl e. T hi s does not , ho w ever , j ust i fyre m and. E ven w i th p ort i on s of the tra nscr i ptm i ss i ng , the re cord cont ai ns am pl e e vi dence j us t i f y i ng the I J ’ s a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty de t e r m i na t i on. Ac c o r d i n g l y we DE NY Kr o i ’ s p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w.