2008 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 2-6-2008 

# C helle 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 . 05-5322

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_2008

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

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w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " C he lle v . Atty Ge n U SA" (2008). 2008 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1642. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2008/1642H onor abl e Thom as O ’ N ei l l , D i s t r i ctJ udge, U ni t ed St at es D i s t r i ctC our tforthe 1 E as t ern D i s t r i ctof Penns y l vani a, s i t t i ng bydes i gnat i on. NOT 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. 05- 5322

_____________ AZEB FREZGH I CH ELLE, Pet i t i oner v. ATTO RN EY G ENER AL O F THE UN I TED STATES


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Immig ratio nAp p eals ( N o. A 79- 329- 213) I m m i gr at i on J udge: D ani el M ei s ner

____________ A r gued: J anuary7, 2008 ( Fi l ed: February6, 2008) B efor e: FU E N T E S, J O R D A N , C i r cui tJ udges and O ’ N ei l l , D i s t r i ctJ udge 1 G enetG et ache w , E s qui r e ( A r gue d) Sui t e 1902 26 C our tSt r eet B r ookl yn, N Y 112422

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orP et i t i oner R ic h a rd M . E v a n s , E s q . ( A r gue d) K ohs ei U gunor i , E s q. U ni t ed St at es D epart m entof J us t i ce O ffi ce of I m m i gr at i on L i t i gat i on P. O . B ox 878 B en Fr ankl i n St at i on W as hi ngt on, D . C . 20044 A t t or neys f

orR es pondent OP I NI ON O ’N E IL L , D is tr i ct

C our tJudge . Pet i t i onerA zeb Fr ezghi C hel l e, an Eri t r ean c i t i zen, ent er ed the U ni t ed St at es on J une 26, 2000, as a non- i m m i gr antvi s i t or . O n February28, 2002 s he w as s erved w i t h a N ot i ce t o A ppearw hi ch cha r ged herw i t h bei ng an al i en w ho had r emai ned i n t he U ni t ed St at es w i t houtauthor i zat i on i n vi ol at i on of 8 U . S. C . § 1227( a) ( 1) ( B ) . C hel l e conc eded rem ov abil i t yand subsequ entl yapp l i ed fo r as y l um . H er appl i cat i on w as al so t reat ed as a requestfor w i t hh oldi ng of rem ov al and for prot ect i on un der the C on ven t i on A gainst T or tur e. A ft era hea r i ng t he I m m i gr at i on J udge ( “I J ”) deni ed r el i ef a nd the B oar d of Im m ig ra tio n A p p e a ls (“ B IA ) a d o p ted a n d a f f irm e d th e IJ’ s d e c isio n . C h e lle f iled a tim e ly pet i t i on forr evi ew . W e have j ur i s di ct i on pur s uantt o 8 U . S. C . § 1252 and w i l l denythe p e titio n f o r t h e re a s o n s th a t f

o llo w . C hel l e’ s appl i cat i on foras y l um and otherr el i ef i s bas ed upon heral l egat i ons of pas tper s ecut i on and upon heras s er t ed fe arof furt herper s ecut i on bygovernm ent3

au tho ri ti es a n d cit izen s o f E ri tr ea d u e to h er reli g ion . C h ell e c lai m s to b e a Jeh o v ah ’s W i t nes s . I n t he af

fi davi tacc om pany i ng herappl i cat i on foras y l um s he s t at ed the fol l ow i ng fac t s . C hel l e’ s fai t h w as thatof an O r t hodox C hr i s t i an unt i l 1991. D ur i ng t hat y ears he r equi r ed hos pi t al i zat i on. M ember s of the J ehovah’ s W i t nes s fai t h vi s i t ed and pr ay ed forher , dai l y . C hel l e bel i eved the pr ay er s hel ped cur e herand upon r ecove r i ng f ro m h e r v a ri o u s illn e s s e s s h e c o n v e rt e d a n d b e c a m e a J e h o v a h ’s W itn e s s . I n heraff

i davi tC hel l e cl ai m ed thataft erherconver s i on s he w as out cas tbyher fami l yand comm uni t y . She s t at ed thatbeca us e the Eri t r ean gove r nm entcons i der ed Je h o v a h ’s W itn e ss e s to b e its e n e m ies , Je h o v a h ’s W itn e ss e s w e re u n a b le to w o rk , g o to s chool , orat t end r el i gi ous s ervi ces . C hel l e cl ai m s thats he l os therj ob beca us e of he r r el i gi on. H eraff

i davi ts t at es t hatbeca us e s he w as unabl e t o fi nd empl oym entdue t o her re lig io u s a f

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t E ritre a a n d tra v e led to E th io p ia in M a y1 9 9 5 . T h e a f f id a v it a lso sta tes th a t sh e lef

t E ritre a b e c a u se o f

h o stilit ies a g a in st J e h o v a h ’s W itn e ss e s. C h e lle c la im s th a t s h e w a s s to n e d b ys m a ll c h ild re n b e c a u s e o f h e r r e lig io u s b e lie f

s . I n heraff

i davi tC hel l e s t at es t hatw hi l e s he w as i n E t hi opi a s he contr act ed w i t h an empl oym entagenc yt o w or k as a mai d i n Saudi A r abi a. She pr ovi ded the empl oym ent agenc yw i t h pas s por tphot ogr aphs . C hel l e cl ai m s thats hor t l yaft ers he exe cut ed the empl oym entcontr actt he age ncy ’ s per s onnel advi s ed herthats he w oul d fl yt o Saudi A r abi a. She s t at ed thatt he empl oym entagenc ypr ovi ded herw i t h herpas s por tand that upon herr ece i ptt her eof s he w as s urpr i s ed t o s ee thathername had been c hanged t o a4

M us l i m name, H ay atA w el . She as s ert s thats he i nqui r ed aboutthe name change , w as t ol d t hatt he name change w as nota pr obl em, and fl ew t o Saudi A r abi a bec aus e s he had no ot heropt i on. C hel l e’ s aff

i davi tal s o s t at es thatherSaudi A r abi an empl oy er s i ni t i al l ybel i eved t hats he w as M us l i m . She cl ai m s t hats he r efus ed t o convertt o I s l am and thatherr efus al caus ed s om e pr obl ems w i t h herempl oy er s . N evert hel es s , s he r emai ned i n t hei rempl oy foroverfi ve y ear s . C hel l e tr avel ed t o t he U ni t ed St at es w i t h herempl oy er s i n J une 2000 a n d w o rk e d f

o r t h e m w h ile th e yw e re in th e U n ite d S ta te s f o r a p p ro x im a te ly o n e m o n th . U p o n th e ir re tu rn to S a u d i A ra b ia s h e re m a in e d in th e U n ited S tate s w o rk in g f o r th e ir d a u g h te r. C h e lle c la im s to h a v e e s c a p e d f ro m th e d a u g h te r o n a tr ip to N e w Y o rk C ity. H eraff i davi ts t at es s he s ubs equent l ydi s cover ed a c om m uni t yof Eri t r ean na t i onal s and b e g a n liv in g a m o n g th e m in N e w Y o rk C ity. A hear i ng w as hel d befor e the I J on J ul y14, 2004 and an Ti gr i gni an i nt erpr et er w as pr ovi ded forPet i t i oner . Som e of he rt es t i m onycontr adi ct ed s t at ement s m ade i n her a p p lica tio n f

o r a sy lu m a n d in th e su p p o rtin g a f f id a v it. A s th e IJ a lso n o ted , C h e lle t es t i fi ed i ncons i s t ent l ydur i ng t he hea r i ng. T he I J m ade a dver s e cr edi bi l i t ydet erm i nat i ons againstC hell e and con cl ud ed thather true i den t i t yhad no tbeen est abli shed. Th e IJ al so fou nd t hat the ev i den ce did no tsupp ortC hell e’s cl ai m s that s he is a Jehov ah’s W i t ness and t hat s he h ad suf

fered persecut i on i n E ri t rea. F i nd i ng that C hell e did not est abli sh el i gi bi l i t yforr el i ef, t he I J concl uded thatC hel l e w as r emovabl e fr om the U ni t ed St at es5

and deni ed herappl i cat i ons foras y l um , w i t hhol di ng of r emoval , and forpr ot ect i on under t he C onvent i on A gai ns tT or tur e. C hel l e appe al ed the I J ’ s deci s i on and the B I A adopt ed a n d a f f irm e d th e IJ’ s o p in io n . T h e B IA h e ld th a t, alth o u g h C h e lle o f f e re d p lau sib le ex p lana ti o n s fo r som e o f th e inc o n sist en cies in h er testi m o n y , the re co rd d o es n o t sup p o rt th e c o n c lu s io n th a t th e IJ ’s a d v e rs e c re d ib ility d e te rm in a tio n w a s c le a rl ye rr o n e o u s . W her e the B I A adopt s and af fi r m s the opi ni on of the I J w e r evi ew the dec i s i on of t he I J and anyaddi t i onal r eas oni ng bythe B I A . See, G ao v. A s hcr oft , 299 F. 3d 266, 271 ( 3d C i r . 2002) ( ci t i ng, A bdul ai v. A s hcr oft , 239 F. 3d 542, 549 n. 2 ( 3d C i r . 2001) ) ; s ee, al so, M i ah v . A shcroft , 34 6 F . 3d 43 4, 43 9 (3d C i r. 20 03 ). W e revi ew the IJ' s fi nd i ng s, in c lu d in g a d v e rs e c re d ib ility d e te rm in a tio n s , u n d e r t h e s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e s ta n d a rd . C h e n v . A sh c ro f

t, 37 6 F .3 d 2 1 5 , 2 2 2 (3 d C ir. 2 0 0 4 ). “I f a re a so n a b le f

a c t f in d e r c o u ld m ake a par t i cul arfi ndi ng on t he admi ni s t r at i ve r ecor d, then the fi ndi ng i s s uppor t ed by s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e . ” D i a v . A s h c r o f t , 3 5 3 F . 3 d 2 2 8 , 2 4 9 ( 3 d C i r . 2 0 0 3 ) . T h e I J 's fi ndi ngs “mustbe uphel d unl es s t he evi dence notonl ys uppor t s a contr aryconcl us i on, but co m p els i t. ” A b d il le v. A sh cro ft, 2 4 2 F . 3 d 4 7 7 , 4 8 3 -84 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 1 ). In order t o b e el i gibl e for a grantof asy l um , C hell e m ustest abli sh t hat s he is a

“ re f u g e e ,” m e a n in g a “ p e rs o n w h o is o u ts id e a n yc o u n tr yo f s u c h p e rs o n ' s n a tio n a lity ... and w ho i s unabl e orunw i l l i ng t o r eturn t o, and i s unabl e orunw i l l i ng t o avai l hi m s el f or her s el f of the pr ot ect i on of, t hatcountr ybeca us e of pe r s ecut i on ora w el l - founded f earof6

per s ecut i on on acc ountof r ace , r el i gi on, nat i onal i t y , m ember s hi p i n a part i cul ars oci al g r o u p , o rp o l i t i c a l o p i n i o n . ” 8 U. S. C. § 1 1 0 1 ( a ) ( 4 2 ) . Se e , e . g . M i a h , 3 4 6 F. 3 d a t4 3 8 . To demonstr at e pas torfutur e per s ecut i on, C hel l e mustpr ovi de evi dence of “pa s torpot ent i al harm r i s i ng t o t he l evel of per s ecut i on on acc ountof a s t atut or i l yenumer at ed gr ound that is c o m m itt e d b yth e g o v e rn m e n t o r b yf o rc e s th e g o v e rn m e n t is u n a b le o r u n w ill in g to contr ol . ” K i bi nda v. A t t ’ n G en. , 477 F. 3d 113, 119 ( 3d C i r . 2007) ( quot i ng Fi adj oe v. A tt' yG e n ., 4 1 1 F .3 d 1 3 5 , 1 6 0 (3 d C ir.2 0 0 5 )). A p e tit io n e r w h o o f f e rs “ c re d ib le test im o n yreg ard ing p ast p erse cu ti o n is presu m ed to h av e a w ell -fo u n d ed fe ar o f f u ture p erse cu ti o n . ” B erisha

j v. A sh cro ft, 3 7 8 F . 3 d 3 1 4 , 3 2 6 (3d C ir . 2 0 0 4 ). W e f in d th a t su b sta n tial e v id e n c e su p p o rts th e IJ's a d v e rse c re d ib ili ty det erm i nat i on. C hel l e’ s t rue i dent i t yi s ques t i onabl e. A s the I J not ed, C hel l e does not have a val i d pas s por ti n hername and herbi rt h r ecor d i s notauthent i cat ed. M or eover , t he dat es of bi r t h on herpas s por tdi ffe r s fr om thaton herbi r t h r ecor d and on herappl i cat i on foras y l um . C hel l e had a n oppor tuni t yt o corr ectthe dat e of bi r t h ent er ed on her appl i cat i on and s he di d not . I n fac t , s he t es t i fi ed thatthe A s y l um O ffi cerr evi ew ed her appl i cat i on w i t h hert o ver i fyt he ac cur acyof herr es pons es . N evert hel es s , C hel l e fa i l ed t o corr ectw hats he pr es ent l yas s er t s i s an i ncorr ectdat e of bi r t h. I n addi t i on, the I J found it tro u b lin g th a t alth o u g h C h e lle c laim s to b e a c iti z e n o f E ritre a sh e w a s s o m e h o w a b le to obt ai n an Et hi opi an pas s por t . She cl ai m s t o have obt ai ned an Er i t r ean pa s s por tfr om t he7

E r i t r ean c ons ul w hi l e i n Saudi a A r abi a des pi t e the fa ctthatherE t hi opi an pas s por thad an i ncorr ectname. C hel l e’ s cl ai m s s i m pl yar e notcr edi bl e. A l t hough s he has offe r ed a pl aus i bl e expl anat i on fort he bi r t h dat e di s cr epanc y , the document aryand t es t i m oni al i ncons i s t enci es r emai n and nei t herC hel l e’ s true i dent i t ynorhercorr ectdat e of bi r t h have b e e n d e f in itiv e ly es ta b lis h e d . T he I J not ed s ever al ot heri ncons i s t enci es betw een Chel l e’ s appl i cat i on foras y l um and hert es t i m ony . T he I J obs erved thatC hel l e’ s appl i cat i on i ndi cat es thats he w as unempl oy ed and s uppor t ed byJ ehovah’ s W i t nes s es fr om J ul yof 1991 thr ough J ul yof 1 9 9 5 . H o w e v e r, d u rin g th e h e a rin g sh e tes tifie d th a t sh e w o rk e d in a sw e a ter f a c to ryin E r i t r ea unt i l t he end of

1994 w hen s he cl ai m s t o have l os therpos i t i on beca us e of he r rel i gion. C hell e al so provided incon si st ent t est i m on yregar ding her cl ai m s that s he is a Je h o v a h ’s W itn e ss a n d w a s p e rse c u ted b e c a u se o f h e r re lig io n . D u rin g th e h e a rin g C h e lle tes tifie d th a t sh e a tten d e d p ra y e r m e e tin g s tw o o r th re e tim e s p e r w e e k . S h e su b se q u e n tly t es t i fi ed thats he mayhave a t t ended a t ot al of t en J ehovah’ s W i t nes s m eet i ng dur i ng t he c o u rse o f a f o u r y e a r p e rio d . W h e n q u e stio n e d b yh e r c o u n se l, C h e lle a ttem p ted to r ehabi l i t at e hert es t i m onyand s t at ed thatdur i ng the s ame foury earper i od s he mayhave a tte n d e d o v e r 1 0 0 m e e tin g s . T h e re c o rd d o e s n o t co m p e l a r e su lt co n tra ryto th e IJ’ s a d v e rse c re d ib ili ty det erm i nat i on. C hel l e fai l ed t o demonstr at e thatthe I J orB I A err ed i n r ej ect i ng her8

app l i cat i on for asy l um , w i t hh oldi ng of rem ov al , and rel i ef un der the C on ven t i on A gainst T o rt u re . F o r t h e re a s o n s d is c u s s e d a b o v e , w e w ill d e n yth e p e titio n .