FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC UIT AUGUST 31, 2005 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. 05- 11304 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ B I A N os . A 79- 469- 926 & A 79- 469- 927 P A T R I C I A R O D R I G U E Z , C L A U D I A P A T R I C I A F U E N T E S , 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

a n O r de rof

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 31, 2005)

B efo re A N D E R S O N , D U B IN A an d B L A C K , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:Be causepetitioners’ removal proce eding s commence d after April 1, 1997, the 1 perma nent rules of

the Illeg al Immigration Reform and Immigra nt Responsibil ity

Act of 1996, P u b . L . N o . 1 0 4 - 2 0 8 , 1 1 0 S t at . 3 0 0 9 ( 1 9 9 6 ) ( IIRIRA) , a pp ly. 2 P a tr i c i aR odr i gue z a nd he rdaught e r , C l audi aP a tr i c i aF ue nt e s , pe t i t i on f or r 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 ’ ( B I A ’ s ) or de ra f f i rm i ng the I m m i gr a t i on J udge ’ s ( I J ’ s ) de ni a l of a s y l um , w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l unde rthe I m m i gr a t i on a nd N a tur a l i z a t i on A c t( I N A ) , a nd r e l i e f unde rthe U ni t e d N a t i ons C onve nt i on A ga i ns tT ortur e a nd O the rC rue l , I nhum a n, orD e gr a di ng T r e a tm e ntor P uni s hm e nt( C A T ) , 8 U . S . C . §§ 1158, 1231, 8 C . F . R . § 208. 16( c ) . W e de nythe 1 pe t i t i on. P e titio n e r s a s s e rt th e I Je rr e d in f in d in g p e titio n e r s f

a ile d to e s tab lis h aw e llf ounde d f e a rof pe r s e c ut i on ba s e d on R odr i gue z ’ s i m put e d pol i t i c a l opi ni on s uf f i c i e ntt o gr a ntthe m w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l . T hi s c l a i m i s l a r ge l yba s e d on R o d r ig u e z ’s e n c o u n te rw ith th e R e v o lu tio n a ryA rm e d F o r c e s o f C o lo m b ia (F A R C ), du ri ng w hi ch she w as st op ped ata r oadb l ock, m ade t o l i e f ac e- do w n at gu np oi nt , and threa t ened w i th d ea th. P et i t i on er s c on t end there i s s ub st ant i al evi dence i n the re cord t o sho w R od ri gu ez suff er ed pastpers ec ut i on base d o n h er char i ty w ork for the po or and, thu s, i ti s m ore l i kel y than n otshe w i l l suff erfuture p e r s e c u tio n . F u rth e r , p e titio n e r s m a in ta in u p o n r e tu rn to C o lo m b ia , th e F A R C w ill r e m e m b e rR o d r ig u e z ’s a c tiv itie s , a n d , th e r e f o r e , R o d r ig u e z ’s f

e a rth a t s h e w ill s uf f e rf utur e pe r s e c ut i on i s w e l l - f ounde d.3

B e c aus e the B I A a dopt e d a nd a f f i rm e d the I J ’ s de c i s i on w i thouta n opi ni on, w e r e v ie w th e I J ’s d e c is io n a s if it w e r e th e B I A ’s . Se e A l N a jja rv . A s h c r o

ft , 257 F . 3d 12 62 , 12 84 (11th C i r. 20 01 ). W e r evi ew the IJ ’ s f ac tual det erm i nat i on s und er th e s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e te s t, a n d w e “m u s t a f f irm th e [ I J ]’s d e c is io n if it is supp ort ed by re as on abl e, subst ant i al , 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 t1283- 84 ( quot a t i on a nd c i t a t i on o m itte d ) . “T o r e v e r s e th e I J ’s f a c t f in d in g s , w e m u s t f

in d th a t th e r e c o r d n o t o n ly supp ort s r ever sa l , bu tcom pel s i t . ” Me ndoz a v . U . S. A t torne

yG e n. , 327 F . 3d 1283, 12 87 (11th C i r. 20 03 ). A s a n i ni t i a l m a tt e r , pe t i t i one r s s e e k r e vi e w onl yof the I J ’ s de c i s i on de ny i ng w ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l u n d e rth e I N A . T h e I Jf o u n d p e titio n e r s ’ a s y lu m c la im w as p re term itted d u e to u n ti m elin es s. W e lac kju risd icti o n to re v iew th e I J’s d e te rm in a tio n th a t a n a s y lu m ap p lic a tio n w a s u n tim e lyf ile d . See Sanc hezv . U

. S. A t torne yG e n. , 392 F . 3d 434, 437 ( 11th C i r . 2004) . M or e ove r , pe t i t i one r s do not s e e kr e v ie w o f

th a t d e c is io n . F u rth e r , p e titio n e r s ab a n d o n e d th e irC A T r e lie f c la im b y n o t r a is in g it in th e irb r ie f . See R ow e v . Schrei ber , 1 3 9 F .3 d 1 3 8 1 , 1 3 8 2 n .1 ( 1 1 th C ir . 1 9 9 8 ) ( c o n c lu d in g is s u e s n o t a r g u e d in ap a rty ’s b r ie f a r e ab a n d o n e d ) . I n aw i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l c l a i m , a n a l i e n s ha l l notbe r e m ove d t o a coun tryi f her“ l i fe or fr ee do m w ou l d b e threa t ened i n thatcoun trybecause of [ her] ra ce , re l i gi on , nat i on al i ty, m em bers hi p i n a part i cul arsoci al grou p, or po l i t i ca l4

op i ni on . ” 8 U . S . C . § 1 23 1(b)(3). “ A n al i en bears the bu rden of dem on stra t i ng that [ s ] he m or e - l i ke l y - tha n- notw oul d be pe r s e c ut e d ort ortur e d” upon r e turn t o the p r o p o s e d c o u n tryo f

r e m o v a l. Sa nchez , 392 F . 3d a t437. A pr e s um pt i on the a l i e n’ s l i f

e orf r e e dom w oul d be thr e a t e ne d upon r e turn t o the pr opos e d c ountryof r e m o v a l is c r e a te d if

th e a lie n e s tab lis h e s p a s t p e r s e c u tio n o n ap r o te c te d g r o u n d . I d. T hi s pr e s um pt i on m a ybe r e butt e d i f the I N S s how s the a l i e n’ s l i f e orf r e e dom a r e no l onge rthr e a t e ne d be c aus e of c ha nge d c ondi t i ons i n the pr opos e d c ountry of r e m ova l , orthe a l i e n w oul d a voi d pe r s e c ut i on by r e l oc a t i ng t o a nothe rpa rtof the p r o p o s e d c o u n tryo f

r e m o v a l. I

d. W h ere th e al i en h as n o tactu al l y su ffered p ast pe r s e c ut i on, s he be a r s the bur de n of e s t abl i s hi ng i ti s m or e l i ke l ytha n nots he w o u ld s u f

f e rf u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n u p o n r e m o v a l. I d. H o w ev er, as w i th p ast p e r s e c u tio n , “[ a ]n a lie n c a n n o t d e m o n s tr a te th a t [ s h e ] m o r e - lik e ly - th a n - n o t w o u ld be pe r s e c ut e d on apr ot e c t e d gr ound i f the I Jf i nds tha tthe a l i e n c oul d a voi d a future threa tby re l ocat i ng t o ano ther partof [her ] coun try . ” I d. (c i t at i on om i tt ed). S ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e s upport s the B I A ’ s de c i s i on tha tpe t i t i one r s w e r e not e nt i t l e d t o w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l unde rthe I N A . F i r s t , pe t i t i one r s di d not de m ons tr a t e pa s tpe r s e c ut i on on apr ot e c t e d gr ound be c aus e the i rappl i c a t i ons , a nd R o d rig u ez ’s testim o n y, fa il ed to es tab li sh a s u ff icien t n ex u s b etw ee n R o d rig u ez ’s det ent i on by the F A R C and h ercl ai m ed i m pu t ed po l i t i ca l op i ni on , nam el y, her c h a r itab le w o rkin o p p o s itio n o f th e F A R C ’s m is s io n . A s th e I Jn o te d , th e o n ly5

s i gni f i c a ntt i e R odr i gue z de m ons tr a t e d be tw e e n he rc ha r i t abl e w ork a nd p ersecu t i o n b y th e F A R C i s th e st at em en tm ad e b y th e F A R C i n d i cat i n g sh e m u st b e e x ec u ted b ec au se sh e is a sistero f c h ar ity. W ith th e e x ce p ti o n o f R o d rig u ez ’s f a the r - i n- l a w a nd M r . L i z a r do, the r e c or d doe s nots how tha ta nyothe rm e m be r s of R o d r ig u e z ’s c h a r itab le g r o u p s w e r e p e r s e c u te d b yth e F A R C d u e to th e ira c tiv itie s . R od ri gu ez st at ed M r. L i zardo w as “ a s up po rt erof [her ] food prog ra m ” and w as ki dn aped by the F A R C . H ow ever , there i s no evi dence M r. L i zardo w as p e r s e c u te d b e c au s e o f

h is in v o lv e m e n t w ith R o d r ig u e z ’s c h a r itab le w o rk . W ith re sp ec t t o th e k id n ap in g o f R o d rig u ez ’s fa th er -in -law , R o d rig u ez ’s t e s t i m onyr e ve a l s he w a s ki dnape d be c aus e hi s m e di c a l s ki l l s w e r e of us e t o the g u e rr illa s , n o t b e c au s e h e w a s in v o lv e d in c h a r itab le w o rk . R o d r ig u e z a d m itte d to pa rt i c i pa t i ng i n “ s oc i a l s e rvi c e s ” w i th he rf a the r - i n- l a w dur i ng tw o i ns t a nc e s on w h i c h h e w a s k i d n ap e d . I ti s n o t e w o rth yth a t , i f Ro d r i g u e z w a s o n aFA RC b l ack l i st , th e g u erri l l as d i d n o tatt em p tt o k i d n ap o r h arm h er d u ri n g th ese i ns t a nc e s . M or e ove r , R odr i gue z t e s t i f i e d s he di d note xpe r i e nc e pr obl e m s w i th the F A R C e i the rbe f

or e ora f t e rthe r oa dbl oc k e nc ount e r . T he r e f or e , the I J ’ s de c i s i on thatpet i t i on er s f

ai l ed t o est abl i sh a nexus betw ee n R od ri gu ez ’ s c hari t abl e w ork an d p ersecu t i o n b y th e F A R C i s su p p o rt ed b y sub st an t i al ev i d en ce. A cco rd i n g l y, p e titio n e r s d id n o t d e m o n s tr a te p a s t p e r s e c u tio n o n ap r o te c te d g r o u n d . See Sa nchez , 392 F . 3d a t437.6

S e c o n d , p e titio n e r s f

a ile d to e s tab lis h it is m o r e lik e lyth a n n o t th e yw ill s u f f e rp e r s e c u tio n u p o n r e m o v a l. Se e id. A gai n, the l ac k o f e vi dence i n the re cord dem on stra t i ng the F A R C t ar get ed R od ri gu ez before or af t erthe roadbl ock e n c o u n t e ri s s i g n i f

i c a n tb e c au s e i ti n d i c a t e s Ro d r i g u e z i s n o tat a r g e to f th e FA RC, bu tw as m er el y the vi ct i m of a r ando m roadbl ock. A dd i t i on al l y, R od ri gu ez st at ed m em bers of her f

am i l y had al w ay s helped i nd i geno us and d i spl ac ed peop l e and her m other and brothers have sa fe l y l i ved i n C ol om bi a s i nce R od ri gu ez ’ s e ncou nt er w i th the F A R C . A s s uch, pet i t i on er s have notdem on strat ed i ti s m ore l i kel y than n o t th a t th e yw ill f

a c e p e r s e c u tio n u p o n r e tu rn to C o lo m b ia . See 8 C. F. R. § 208. 16( b) ( 2) . A c c or di ngl y , w e de nythe pe t i t i on. P E T I T I O N D E N I E D .