### F I LE D U. S . COURT OF AP PE ALS E LEVE NTH CI RCUI T M ay 19, 2005 T HOM AS K. KAHN C L E RK [ 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. 04- 12505 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ A ge nc yN os . A 79- 475- 106 & A 79- 475- 107 R I C A R D O A N T O N I O Z U N I G A - M U R I L L O , MAR T HA HE L E NA MOL I NA - VE L AS C O, 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

aD 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

_________________________ ( M ay 19, 2005) B e f o r e B I R C H , D U B I N A a n d B A R K E T T , C ir c u it J u d g e s . P E R C U R I A M:Zuniga-Murillo is the primary applicant. His wifeis a derivative applicant a nd, 1 there fore , re lie s o n Zunig a -Murill o’ s a sylum a pp lic atio n. Ac c ording ly, w ewi ll o nly re fer to Zuniga-Murillo and his claims for relief. 2 P et i t i on er s R i cardo A nt on i o Z un i ga-M uri l l o and M artha H el ena M ol i naV e l a s c o, thr ough c ouns e l , pe t i t i on f orr e vi e w of

the B oa r d of

I m m i gr a t i on A ppe a l s ’ s ( “ B I A ” ) or de ra f f i rm i ng the I m m i gr a t i on J udge ’ s ( “ I J ” ) de ni a l of a s y l um a nd w i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l unde rthe I m m i gr a t i on N a t i ona l i tyA c t( “ I N A ” ) a nd the U ni t e d N a t i ons C onve nt i on A ga i ns tT ortur e a nd othe rC rue l , I nhum a ne , a nd D egra di ng T re atm entor P un i shm ent(“ C A T ”) . Z un i ga-M uri l l o’ s re m ov al 1 pr oc e e di ngs c om m e nc e d a f t e rA pr i l 1, 1997. T he r e f or e , the pe rm a ne ntrul e s of the I l l e g a l I mm i g r a t i o n Re f o rm an d I mm i g r a n tRe s p o n s i b i l i tyAc to f 1 9 9 6 , Pub . L. N o . 1 0 4 - 2 0 8 , 1 1 0 S ta t. 3 0 0 9 ( 1 9 9 6 ) ( “I I R I R A ” ) ap p ly . Z u n ig a - M u r illo a s s e rts th a t th e B I A e rr e db ya f f irm in g th e I J ’s d e n ia l o f h is a s y lu m ap p lic a tio n b e c au s e h e w a s p e r s e c u te do n a c c o u n t o f h is p o litic a l o p in io n . Z u n ig a - M u r illo m a in ta in s th a t “[ h e ] te s tif ie dr e g a r d in g th e p r o b le m s in h e r e n t in r e f u s in g to c o o p e r a te w ith th e [ R e v o lu tio n a ryA rm e dF o r c e s o f C o lo m b ia ( “F A R C ” ) ] in th e o v e rth r o w o f th e C o lo m b ia n g o v e rn m e n t.” Z u n ig a - M u r illo a s s e rt s tha the w a s e nt i t l e d t o ha ve hi s a s y l um c l a i m r e vi e w e d unde rthe

“ r e a s onabl e pos s i bi l i ty ” s t a nda r d, a nd tha t“ gi ve n the c ont e nt s of the r e c or d, ” he m e t th is b u r d e n o f

p r o o f .3

Z un i ga-M uri l l o al so ar gu es thatthe B IA appl i ed an i ncorrec tand h i gh er s t a nda r d of

pr oof t o hi s a s y l um c l a i m , na m e l y , the “ c l e a rpr obabi l i tyof pe r s e c ut i on s t a nda r d. ” Z uni ga - M ur i l l o c ont e nds tha tthe I Jf a i l e d t o c ons i de rthe pos s i bi l i tyof f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n a n d b a s e d h is d e c is io n to d e n yZ u n ig a - M u r illo ’s a s y lu m c la im o n h is f a ilu r e to s h o w ( a ) p a s t p e r s e c u tio n , a n d( b ) “th a t th e yw ill n e c e s s a r ilyb e in si gn i fi cantdang eri f f

orce d t o return t o C ol om bi a. ” Z un i ga-M uri l l o m ai nt ai ns that ba s e d on the e vi de nc e pr e s e nt e d a thi s a s y l um he a r i ng, the I Js houl d ha ve c o n c lu d e d th a t Z u n ig a - M u r illo h a daw e ll- f o u n d e df e a ro f f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n . A s a n i ni t i a l m a tt e r , Z uni ga - M ur i l l o aba ndone d hi s c l a i m s f orw i thhol di ng of r e m ova l unde rthe I N A a nd r e l i e f unde rthe C A T byf

a i l i ng t o r a i s e a nya r gum e nt o n th e s e c la im s in h is ap p e lla te b r ie f . Se pulv e da v . U

. S. A t torne

yG e n. , 401 F . 3d 12 26 , 12 28 n. 2 (11 th C i r. 20 05 ) ( st at i ng that“ [w ] hen an app el l antfa i l s t o o ff er ar gu m enton an i ss ue, thati ss ue i s aband on ed”) . W he n the B I A i s s ue s ade c i s i on, w e r e vi e w onl ytha tde c i s i on, e xc e ptt o the e x te n t th a t th e B I A e x p r e s s lya d o p ts th e I J ’s d e c is io n . A l N a jja rv . A s h c r o

ft , 257 F . 3d 1262, 1284 ( 11th C i r . 2001) . I n thi s c a s e , the B I A both appe a r e d t o a doptthe I J ’ s d e c i s i o n a n d ma d e s o me o f i t s o wn o b s e rv a t i o n s , s o we wi l l r e v i e w b o th . To th e ex t en tth atth e B IA ’ s d eci si o n w as b ased o n a l eg al d et erm i n at i o n , rev i ew i s de no vo . Mo h a m m e d

v . A s h c r o

ft , 261 F . 3d 1244, 1247- 48 ( 11th C i r . 2001) . T he4

B I A ’ s f a c tua l de t e rm i na t i ons a r e r e vi e w e d unde rthe s ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e t e s t , a nd w e “m u s t a f

f irm th e B I A ’s d e c is io n if it is ‘s u p p o rte db yr e a s o n ab le , s u b s ta n tia l, and p robat i ve evi dence on the re cord consi dere d as aw ho l e. ’ ” A l N aj j ar , 257 F . 3d a t1284 ( c i t a t i on om i tt e d) . F urthe r , the B I A ’ s de c i s i on c a n onl ybe r e ve r s e d i f the appl i c a nt ’ s e vi de nc e “ i s s o pow e r f ul tha tar e a s onabl e f

a c t f i nde rw oul d ha ve to concl ud e thatthe re qu i si t e f ear of per se cut i on exi st s. ” M az ar i egos v . O

f f i c e of the U . S. A t torne

yG e n. , 2 4 1 F .3 d 1 3 2 0 , 1 3 2 3 - 2 4 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 1 ) ( e m p h a s is in or i gi na l ) . T he I N A s t a t e s tha t“ the a dm i ni s tr a t i ve f i ndi ngs of

f a c ta r e c onc l us i ve unl e s s a nyr e a s onabl e a dj udi c a t orw oul d be c om pe l l e d t o c onc l ude t o the c o n tr a ry .” I N A § 2 4 2 ( b ) ( 4 ) ( B ) , 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 5 2 ( b ) ( 4 ) ( B ) . A ny al i en w ho i s physi ca l l y pre se nti n o r arr i ves i n the U ni t ed S t at es m ay ap p lyf o ra s y lu m . I N A § 2 0 8 ( a ) ( 1 ) , 8 U .S .C . § 1 1 5 8 ( a ) ( 1 ) . A n a lie n m a yo b ta in a s y l u m i f h e i s ar e f

u g e e w i th i n th e me a n i n g o f I N A § 1 0 1 ( a ) ( 4 2 ) ( A ) , 8 U . S. C. §1101( a ) ( 42) ( A ) . A “ r e f uge e ” i nc l ude s a nype r s on w ho i s unw i l l i ng t o r e turn t o, a n d is u n ab le o ru n w illin g to a v a il h im s e lf o f th e p r o te c tio n o f

, th e c o u n tryo f

h is n a tio n a lityo rw h e r e h e la s t h ab itu a llyr e s id e d , b e c au s e o f p e r s e c u tio n o raw e llf o u n d e d f e a ro f p e r s e c u tio n o n a c c o u n t o f r a c e , r e lig io n , n a tio n a lity , m e m b e r s h ip in ap a rtic u la rs o c ia l g r o u p , o rp o litic a l o p in io n . Id . T he bur de n of pr oof i s on the al i en t o est ab l i sh th ath e i s a refu g ee. 8 C . F . R . § 2 0 8 . 1 3 (a). A n al i en m ay est ab l i sh5

el i g i b i l i ty fo r asyl u m i f h e sh o w s th ath e h as su ffered p astp ersecu t i o n o r h as a w e ll- f o u n d e d f e a ro f f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n . I

d. § 2 0 8 .1 3 ( b ) ; A l

N aj j ar , 2 5 7 a t 1 2 8 7 . W h i l e th e IN A d o es n o td efi n e p ersecu t i o n , w e h av e d i scu ssed o th er C i rcu i t s’ hol di ngs tha tpe r s e c ut i on i s a n “ e xtr e m e c onc e pt , ” tha tm e r e ha r a s s m e nti s not pe r s e c ut i on, a nd tha tpe r s e c ut i on r e qui r e s “ m or e tha n af e w i s ol a t e d i nc i de nt s of verbal hara ss m entor i nt i m i dat i on . ” Se pulv e da , 4 0 1 F .3 da t 1 2 3 1 ; se e a l so N e l s on v . I NS , 232 F . 3d 258, 263 ( 1s tC i r . 2000) ( pe r s e c ut i on “ m us tr i s e above unpl e a s a ntne s s , ha r a s s m e nt , a nd e ve n ba s i c s uf f e r i ng” ) . O the rc ourt s ha ve ge ne r a l l yhe l d tha tpe r s e c ut i on i s “ puni s hm e ntorthe i nf l i c t i on of ha rm f or po l i t i ca l , re l i gi ou s, or other r ea sons thatthi s c ou ntrydo es no tre cogn i ze as l egi t i m at e. ” See , e . g. T

am as -Me r c e a v . R e no , 222 F . 3d 417, 424 ( 7th C i r . 2000) ( c i t a t i o n o mi tt e d ) . “ Pe r s e c u t i o n e n c o mp a s s e s mo r e th a n th r e a t s t o l i f e o rf r e e d o m; no n-l i fe threa t eni ng vi ol ence and p hysi ca l abuse a l so fa l l w i thi n thi s c at egory. ” I d. P as t p er se cu ti o n in clu d es p er se cu ti o n th at o cc u rr ed in th e ap p li ca n t’ s c o u n tryin th e p a s t “o n a c c o u n t o f . . . p o litic a l o p in io n ,” a n dth e ap p lic a n t “is un abl e or unw i l l i ng t o return t o, or avai l hi m se l f . . . of the prot ec t i on of, that coun tryow i ng t o such p er se cut i on . ” 8 C . F . R . § 2 08 . 13 (b)( 1). A “ w el l -f ou nd ed fe ar ” of per se cut i on m aybe es t abl i shed by show i ng , (1) pas tpers ec ut i on that cr ea t es a pre sum pt i on of a “ w el l -f ou nd ed fe ar ” of f

uture pers ec ut i on , w hi ch m ay6

b e r e b u tte d w ith p r o o f

th a t, i nter a lia , the a l i e n c oul d r e l oc a t e a nd i tw oul d be re as on abl e t o exp ec tthe al i en t o d o so; (2) are as on abl e possi bi l i ty of f uture pers on al pers ec ut i on thatcann otbe avoi ded b y r el ocat i ng w i thi n the subj ec t coun try ; or (3) apatt ern o r pra ct i ce i n the subj ec tcoun tryof pers ec ut i ng m em bers of a s t atut ori l y def

i ned g roup of w hi ch he i s part . 8 C . F . R . § 2 08 . 13 (b)( 1) & (2); Se pulv e da , 4 0 1 F .3 d a t 1 2 3 1 . T h e w e ll- f o u n d e df e a rin q u iryr e q u ir e s th e a lie n to de m ons tr a t e tha thi s orhe rf e a rof pe r s e c ut i on “ i s s ubj e c t i ve l yge nui ne a nd obj ec t i vel y r ea sonabl e. ” Se pulv e da , 4 0 1 F . 3 dat1 2 3 1 . F u rth er, th e al i en m u st es t abl i sh a c ausa l conn ec t i on betw ee n the st atut ory groun d and the fe ar ed pers ec ut i on by pres ent i ng “ spec i fi c, det ai l ed fa ct s s ho w i ng a goo d rea son t o fear thathe or she w i l l be s in g le d o u t for per se cut i on on ac coun tof [the st atut ory grou nd ] . ” I

d. ( e m pha s i s i n or i gi na l ) ( c i t i ng A l N aj j ar , 2 5 7 F .3 da t 1 2 8 7 ) . W e h a v e s ta te d th a t a n im p u te dp o litic a l o p in io n , e v e n if it is in c o rr e c tly a ttr ib u te d , c a n b e ag r o u n d f o rth e w e ll- f

o u n d e df e a rs ta n d a r d . A l

N aj j ar , 257 F . 3d a t 1 2 8 9 . I n o r d e rto p r e v a il, th e a lie n m u s t d e m o n s tr a te th a t “th e p e r s e c u to rf a ls e ly attri bu t ed an op i ni on t o h i m , and then p er se cut ed hi m because of thatm i st aken bel i ef abou thi s vi ew s. ” I

d. (c i t at i on om i tt ed and m arks om i tt ed). If the al i en e s tab lis h e s th a t th e p e r s e c u to rim p u te dap o litic a l o p in io n to h im , th e a lie n w o u ld s t i l l be r e qui r e d t o de m ons tr a t e tha the ha s aw e l l - f ounde d f e a rof pe r s e c ut i on7

b e c au s e o f

th a t im p u te d o p in io n . See i d. A f te rr e v ie w in g th e r e c o r d , w e c o n c lu d e th a t e v e n if Z u n ig a - M u r illo c o u ld pr ove tha tthe a c t i ons t a ke n a ga i ns thi m w e r e on a c c ountof hi s pol i t i c a l opi ni on, i m pu t ed or otherw i se , subst ant i al evi dence s up po rt s the B IA ’ s det erm i nat i on that he has f ai l ed t o est abl i sh ei ther pas tpers ec ut i on or a w el l -f ou nd ed fe arof future pe r s e c ut i on on a c c ountof hi s pol i t i c a l opi ni ons . Z uni ga - M ur i l l o t e s t i f i e d tha the r e c e iv e d th r e a te n in g p h o n e c a lls f r o m th e F A R C a f

te rd e c lin in g a d d itio n a l w o rk . H ow e ve r , Z uni ga - M ur i l l o ne ve rt e s t i f i e d tha the w a s phy s i c a l l yha rm e d, ki dnape d, or abused. R ather he t es t i fi ed thatthe F A R C hara ss ed hi m . In fa ct , Z un i gaM u r i l l o d i d n o th a v e a n yf a c e - t o - f a c e e n c o u n t e r s w i th a n yme mb e ro f th e FA RC a f te rh is in itia l v is it to th e f a rm w h e r e h e p e r f

o rm e dw o rk . A ls o , Z u n ig a - M u r illo st at ed thatm em bers of hi s f am i l y r em ai n i n C ol om bi a, and they have notre ce i ved any t el epho ne ca l l s or i nq ui ri es as t o h i s w here abou t s. Z un i ga-M uri l l o h as fa i l ed t o pr e s e nts pe c i f

i c , de t a i l e d f

a c t s s how i ng agood r e a s on t o f e a rtha the w i l l be si ng l ed ou tfor per se cut i on because of hi s pol i t i ca l op i ni on . A l tho ug h Z un i gaM uri l l o t es t i fi ed thataf

t erl ea vi ng C ol om bi a f

orm erco-w orkers t ol d h i m that m em bers of the F A R C w er e l oo ki ng for hi m , the subst ant i al evi dence i n the re cord s u p p o rts th e B I A ’s f

in d in g s , a n d ar e a s o n ab le f a c tf in d e rw o u ldn o t b e c o m p e lle d to d is a g r e e .8

A dd i t i on al l y, w e c on cl ud e thatthe B IA and IJ app l i ed the approp ri at e l egal st andard i n revi ew i ng Z un i ga-M uri l l o’ s a sy l um appl i ca t i on . F i rs t , the IJ s pe c i f i c a l l yi de nt i f

i e d IN S v. Cardo za-Fon se ca , 4 8 0 U .S . 4 2 1 , 4 4 9 - 4 5 0 , 1 0 7 S .C t. 12 07 , 12 22 , 94 L . E d. 2d 43 4 (19 87 ) ( ho l di ng thati n o rdert o sho w a w el l -f ou nd ed fe arof pers ec ut i on , the st andard appl i cabl e t o asy l um cl ai m s, the pet i t i on erneed n o t d e m o n s tr a te th a t h e m o r e - lik e ly - th a n - n o t w o u ldb e p e r s e c u te du p o n r e tu rn to the coun tryi n q uest i on , the st andard appl i cabl e t o w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al cl ai m s) , a s the appl i c abl e s t a nda r d a nd a na l y z e d Z uni ga - M ur i l l o’ s a s y l um c l a i m a s one s e e ki ng t o de m ons tr a t e aw e l l - f ounde d f e a rof f utur e pe r s e c ut i on on a c c ountof pol i t i c a l opi ni on. T he I Jf ound tha tZ uni ga - M ur i l l o’ s w e l l - f ounde d f e a rof pers ec ut i on w as di m i ni shed because hi s r el at i ves r em ai ned i n C ol om bi a and l i ved o p e n l yw i th o u td i s tu rb a n c e . A d d i t i o n a l l y , a l th o u g h th e I Jn o t e dth a tth e FA RC never hara ss ed Z un i ga-M uri l l o, and the t el epho ne ca l l s f rom the F A R C “ w er e i nt e nde d t o e s s e nt i a l l ym ot i va t e hi m t o a s s i s t , ” i tw a s w e l l w i thi n the I J ’ s di s c r e t i on to c o n s id e rZ u n ig a - M u r illo ’s c la im s o f p a s t p e r s e c u tio n in d e te rm in in g w h e th e rh is fe arw as obj ec t i vel y r ea sonabl e t o com pel a f i nd i ng thathe had a w el l -f ou nd ed fe ar o f f u tu re p er se cu ti o n . M o re o v er , n o th in g in th e r ec o rd su p p o rts Z u n ig a- M u rill o ’s a s s e rt i o n th a tth e I Jd e n i e d h i s a s y l u m c l a i m b a s e do n h i s f a i l u r e t o s h o w a

“ si gn i fi cantdang er ” i f f orce d t o return t o C ol om bi a. A cc ordi ng l y, Z un i ga-9

M u r illo ’s c la im r e g a r d in g th e ap p r o p r ia te n e s s o f th e le g a l s ta n d a r dap p lie dto h is a s y lu m ap p lic a tio n is w ith o u t a n yf o u n d a tio n . F o rth e f o r e g o in g r e a s o n s , w e d e n yth e p e titio n f o rr e v ie w . P E T I T I ON DE NI E D.