FI L ED

U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S

EL EVENTH CI RCUI T

APR 6, 2009

THOMAS K. KAH

N

CL ERK [ D O N O T P U B L I S H ]

I N T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S C O U R T O F A P P E A L S

F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C I R C U I T

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

N o

. 0 8

- 1 4 3 0 8

N o n

- A r g u m e n t C a l e n d a r

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A g e n c y N o

. A 9 5

- 4 6 7

- 2 4 0

G U A N G Y A O H U A N G

,

P e t i t i o n e r

,

v e r s u s

U

. S

. A T T O R N 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 o n f o r R e v i e w o f a D e c i s i o n o f t h e

B o a r d o f I m m i g r a t i o n A p p e a l s

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

( A p r i l 6

, 2 0 0 9 )

B e f o r e H U L L

, M A R C U S a n d A N D E R S O N

, C i r c u i t J u d g e s

.

P E R C U R I A M :G u a n g Y a o H u a n g

, a c i t i z e n o f C h i n a

, p e t i t i o n s f o r r e v i e w o f t h e B o a r d o f

I m m i g r a t i o n A p p e a l s ’ ( “ B I A ” ) d e c i s i o n a f f i r m i n g t h e I m m i g r a t i o n J u d g e ’ s ( “ I J ” )

d e n i a l o f h i s a p p l i c a t i o n f o r a s y l u m

, w i t h h o l d i n g o f r e m o v a l

, a n d r e l i e f u n d e r t h e

U n i t e d N a t i o n s C o n v e n t i o n A g a i n s t T o r t u r e ( “ C A T ” )

. A f t e r r e v i e w

, w e d i s m i s s i n

p a r t a n d d e n y i n p a r t t h e p e t i t i o n f o r r e v i e w

.

A

. A s y l u m A p p l i c a t i o n

H u a n g c h a l l e n g e s t h e c o n c l u s i o n t h a t h i s a s y l u m a p p l i c a t i o n w a s u n t i m e l y

.

W e l a c k j u r i s d i c t i o n t o r e v i e w t h e d e t e r m i n a t i o n t h a t H u a n g ’ s a s y l u m a p p l i c a t i o n

w a s n o t t i m e l y f

i l e d

. S e e I m m i g r a t i o n a n d N a t i o n a l i t y A c t ( “ I N A ” ) § 2 0 8 ( a ) ( 3 )

, 8

U

. S

. C

. § 1 1 5 8 ( a ) ( 3 ) ; C h a c o n

- B o t e r o v

. U

. S

. A t t ’ y G e n

. , 4 2 7 F

. 3 d 9 5 4

, 9 5 6

- 5 7

( 1 1 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 5 )

. H o w e v e r

, H u a n g a l s o m a k e s a d u e p r o c e s s a r g u m e n t

, a n d w e

r e t a i n j u r i s d i c t i o n t o c o n s i d e r q u e s t i o n s o f l a w a n d c o n s t i t u t i o n a l c l a i m s

. I N A §

2 4 2 ( a ) ( 2 ) ( D )

, 8 U

. S

. C

. § 1 2 5 2 ( a ) ( 2 ) ( D ) ; C o n t r e r a s

- R o d r i g u e z v

. U

. S

. A t t ’ y G e n

. ,

4 6 2 F

. 3 d 1 3 1 4

, 1 3 1 6

- 1 7 ( 1 1 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 6 )

.

H u a n g a r g u e s t h a t t h e I J ’ s d e c i s i o n t o e x c l u d e t h e l i v e t e s t i m o n y o f h i s

c o u s i n a s t o H u a n g ’ s d a t e o f e n t r y i n t o t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s

– t h e s t a r t i n g p o i n t f o r t h e

o n e

- y e a r f

i l i n g d e a d l i n e

– d e p r i v e d h i m o f d u e p r o c e s s

. W e d i s a g r e e

. T o s h o w a

d u e p r o c e s s v i o l a t i o n

, “ a n a l i e n m u s t s h o w t h a t h e w a s d e p r i v e d o f l i b e r t y w i t h o u t

d u e p r o c e s s o f l a w a n d t h a t t h e a s s e r t e d e r r o r c a u s e d h i m s u b s t a n t i a l p r e j u d i c e

. ”

G o n z a l e z

- O p r e z a v

. U

. S

. A t t ’ y G e n

. , 3 2 1 F

. 3 d 1 3 3 1

, 1 3 3 3 ( 1 1 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 3 )

2( c i t a t i o n o m i t t e d )

. H u a n g s u b m i t t e d a n a f f i d a v i t f r o m h i s c o u s i n s t a t i n g H u a n g ’ s

e n t r y d a t e

, w h i c h t h e I J a l l o w e d

. T h e I J a l s o c o n s i d e r e d t h i s e v i d e n c e i n r u l i n g o n

t h e t i m e l i n e s s o f H u a n g ’ s a s y l u m a p p l i c a t i o n

. H u a n g d o e s n o t a r g u e

, o r s h o w

, t h a t

h i s c o u s i n w o u l d h a v e t e s t i f i e d t o a n y t h i n g d i f

f e r e n t f r o m w h a t w a s i n h i s a f

f i d a v i t

.

T h u s

, H u a n g h a s n o t s h o w n t h a t t h e I J ’ s d e c i s i o n t o e x c l u d e h i s c o u s i n ’ s l i v e

t e s t i m o n y r e s u l t e d i n s u b s t a n t i a l p r e j u d i c e

.

B

. W i t h h o l d i n g o f R e m o v a l a n d A d v e r s e C r e d i b i l i t y F i n d i n g

H u a n g c l a i m s t h a t h e s u f f e r e d p a s t p e r s e c u t i o n a n d h a s a w e l l

- f o u n d e d f e a r

o f f u t u r e p e r s e c u t i o n b e c a u s e h e a n d h i s w i f e v i o l a t e d C h i n a ’ s b i r t h c o n t r o l p o l i c y

.

S p e c i f i c a l l y

, H u a n g c o n t e n d s t h a t C h i n e s e f a m i l y p l a n n i n g o f

f i c i a l s f o r c e d h i s w i f

e

t o a b o r t t w o p r e g n a n c i e s a n d t o h a v e a n I U D i n s e r t e d a n d t h r e a t e n e d h i m w i t h

m a n d a t o r y s t e r i l i z a t i o n

. O n l y H u a n g h a s c o m e t o t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s ; h i s w i f e

r e m a i n s i n C h i n a w i t h t h e i r s o n

. T h i s c a s e i n v o l v e s o n l y h i s a p p l i c a t i o n f o r

w i t h h o l d i n g o f r e m o v a l

.

F o l l o w i n g a h e a r i n g

, t h e I J e x p r e s s l y f o u n d t h a t H u a n g ’ s t e s t i m o n y w a s n o t

c r e d i b l e a n d d e n i e d t h e a p p l i c a t i o n f o r w i t h h o l d i n g o f r e m o v a l

. O n a p p e a l

, t h e

B I A a f f i r m e d t h e I J ’ s d e c i s i o n a n d a g r e e d w i t h t h e I J ’ s a d v e r s e c r e d i b i l i t y f i n d i n g

.

T o e s t a b l i s h e l i g i b i l i t y f o r w i t h h o l d i n g o f r e m o v a l

, a n a p p l i c a n t m u s t s h o w

t h a t h i s “ l i f

e o r f r e e d o m w o u l d b e t h r e a t e n e d i n t h a t c o u n t r y b e c a u s e o f [ h i s ] r a c e

,

r e l i g i o n

, n a t i o n a l i t y

, m e m b e r s h i p i n a p a r t i c u l a r s o c i a l g r o u p

, o r p o l i t i c a l o p i n i o n

. ”

3I N A § 2 4 1 ( b ) ( 3 ) ( A )

, 8 U

. S

. C

. § 1 2 3 1 ( b ) ( 3 ) ( A )

. I n o t h e r w o r d s

, t h e a p p l i c a n t b e a r s

t h e b u r d e n t o s h o w t h a t i t i s m o r e l i k e l y t h a n n o t t h a t h e w i l l b e p e r s e c u t e d o n

a c c o u n t o f a p r o t e c t e d g r o u n d i f r e t u r n e d t o h i s c o u n t r y

. M e n d o z a v

. U

. S

. A t t ’ y

G e n

. , 3 2 7 F

. 3 d 1 2 8 3

, 1 2 8 7 ( 1 1 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 3 )

. T o e s t a b l i s h e l i g i b i l i t y

, t h e a p p l i c a n t

m u s t s h o w e i t h e r t h a t h e s u f f e r e d p a s t p e r s e c u t i o n o r t h a t h e h a s a w e l l

- f o u n d e d

f e a r o f f u t u r e p e r s e c u t i o n

. S e e 8 C

. F

. R

. § 2 0 8

. 1 6 ( b ) ( 1 )

- ( 2 ) ; M e n d o z a

, 3 2 7 F

. 3 d a t

1 2 8 7

. C o n g r e s s h a s p r o v i d e d b y s t a t u t e t h a t f o r c e d a b o r t i o n

, f

o r c e d s t e r i l i z a t i o n

,

a n d o t h e r c o e r c i v e p o p u l a t i o n c o n t r o l m e a s u r e s a r e f o r m s o f p o l i t i c a l p e r s e c u t i o n

.

I N A § 1 0 1 ( a ) ( 4 2 )

, 8 U

. S

. C

. § 1 1 0 1 ( a ) ( 4 2 )

.

A l t h o u g h a n a d v e r s e c r e d i b i l i t y d e t e r m i n a t i o n a l o n e m a y s u p p o r t a d e n i a l o f

a c l a i m f o r w i t h h o l d i n g o f r e m o v a l

, i f t h e a p p l i c a n t p r o d u c e s e v i d e n c e o t h e r t h a n

h i s t e s t i m o n y

, t h e I J a n d t h e B I A m u s t c o n s i d e r t h i s e v i d e n c e a s w e l l

. S e e F o r g u e

v

. U

. S

. A t t ’ y G e n

. , 4 0 1 F

. 3 d 1 2 8 2

, 1 2 8 7 ( 1 1 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 5 )

. I n m a k i n g a n a d v e r s e

c r e d i b i l i t y f

i n d i n g

, t h e I J a n d t h e B I A m u s t b e e x p l i c i t

, Y a n g v

. U

. S

. A t t ’ y G e n

. ,

4 1 8 F

. 3 d 1 1 9 8

, 1 2 0 1 ( 1 1 t h C i r

. 2 0 0 5 )

, a n d m u s t o f f e r “ s p e c i f

i c

, c o g e n t r e a s o n s ”

f o r t h e d e t e r m i n a t i o n

. R u i z v

. U

. S

. A t t ’ y G e n

. , 4 4 0 F

. 3 d 1 2 4 7

, 1 2 5 5 ( 1 1 t h C i r

.

2 0 0 6 ) ( q u o t a t i o n m a r k s o m i t t e d )

. “ O n c e a n a d v e r s e c r e d i b i l i t y f i n d i n g i s m a d e

, t h e

b u r d e n i s o n t h e a p p l i c a n t a l i e n t o s h o w t h a t t h e I J ’ s c r e d i b i l i t y d e c i s i o n w a s n o t

4s u p p o r t e d b y s p e c i f i c

, c o g e n t r e a s o n s o r w a s n o t b a s e d o n s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e

. ”

I d

. ( q u o t a t i o n m a r k s a n d b r a c k e t s o m i t t e d ) 1

H e r e

, b o t h t h e I J a n d t h e B I A g a v e s p e c i f i c

, c o g e n t r e a s o n s f

o r f i n d i n g

H u a n g n o t c r e d i b l e

, a n d t h o s e r e a s o n s a r e s u p p o r t e d b y s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e

. T h e

s p e c i f i c

, c o g e n t r e a s o n s w e r e : ( 1 ) H u a n g p r o v i d e d c o n f l i c t i n g t e s t i m o n y r e g a r d i n g

h o w t h e g o v e r n m e n t d i s c o v e r e d h i s w i f e ’ s 1 9 9 8 p r e g n a n c y

, w h e n h e w e n t i n t o

h i d i n g d u r i n g h i s w i f

e ’ s 2 0 0 0 p r e g n a n c y

, a n d t h e d a t e s f o r h i s w i f

e ’ s f i r s t f o r c e d

a b o r t i o n ; ( 2 ) H u a n g s a i d h e w e n t t o w o r k a f e w w e e k s a f

t e r h i s w i f

e ’ s s e c o n d

f o r c e d a b o r t i o n e v e n t h o u g h h e w a s h i d i n g f r o m g o v e r n m e n t o f

f i c i a l s a t t h a t t i m e

a n d t h o s e o f

f i c i a l s k n e w w h e r e h e w o r k e d ; ( 3 ) H u a n g h a d d i f f i c u l t y a n s w e r i n g

q u e s t i o n s c o n c e r n i n g t h e t e r m i n a t i o n n o t i c e f r o m h i s e m p l o y e r ; ( 4 ) t h e t e r m i n a t i o n

n o t i c e s t a t e d t h a t h e h a d b e e n g o n e f r o m w o r k f

o r t w o w e e k s

, b u t t h a t H u a n g

t e s t i f i e d t h a t h e h a d b e e n i n h i d i n g f o r o v e r t w o m o n t h s ; a n d ( 5 ) H u a n g h a d

a d m i t t e d t h a t h e h a d c o m e t o t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s b e c a u s e i t w a s h i s r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t o

m a k e a l i v i n g

.

The B I A af

firmed the I J ’s adve rse c redibility deter mination and expanded upon the I J ’s 1

rea soning. Thus, w e re view the I J ’s cr edibility finding as supplemented by the B I A. See

Savoury v. U.S. Att’y

Gen., 449 F .3d 1307, 1312 (11th Cir. 2006). Credibility finding s, like all

fac tual deter

minations, are r eviewe d under the substantial evidence test. Mohammed v. U.S.

Att’y Gen., 547 F .3d 1340, 1344 (11th Cir. 2008). Our r eview of cre dibilit y

deter minations is

“hig hly defe rential,” and we “may not substit ute our judg ment for that of the B oard.” I d.

(quotation marks a

nd brac kets omitted). We will overturn a c redibility finding only

if the re cord

compels a c ontrary

conclusion. See id.

5H u a n g d o e s n o t c h a l l e n g e t h e a b o v e i n c o n s i s t e n c i e s

, b u t i n s t e a d c h a l l e n g e s

t w o o t h e r f

i n d i n g s t h a t i t w a s i m p l a u s i b l e t h a t H u a n g ’ s w i f e ’ s I U D h a d f

a l l e n o u t

b y i t s e l f a n d t h a t H u a n g w o u l d h a v e b e e n o u t h e l p i n g a f r i e n d m o v e m e r c h a n d i s e

w h i l e h e w a s i n h i d i n g f r o m b i r t h c o n t r o l o f

f i c i a l s

. W e n e e d n o t a d d r e s s t h e s e

a r g u m e n t s b e c a u s e

, e v e n w i t h o u t t h e s e t w o f i n d i n g s

, t h e o t h e r i n c o n s i s t e n c i e s a n d

i m p l a u s i b i l i t i e s i d e n t i f

i e d b y t h e I J a n d t h e B I A w e r e s u f f i c i e n t t o s u p p o r t t h e

a d v e r s e c r e d i b i l i t y f

i n d i n g

. B e c a u s e w e c o n c l u d e t h a t t h e a d v e r s e c r e d i b i l i t y

d e t e r m i n a t i o n i s s u p p o r t e d b y s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e

, w e d o n o t a d d r e s s w h e t h e r

H u a n g ’ s t e s t i m o n y

, t a k e n a s t r u e

, e s t a b l i s h e d p a s t p e r s e c u t i o n o r a w e l l

- f o u n d e d

f e a r o f f u t u r e p e r s e c u t i o n

. F u r t h e r m o r e

, H u a n g d o e s n o t a r g u e t h a t t h e o t h e r

e v i d e n c e i n t h e r e c o r d

, a l o n e

, c o m p e l s a c o n c l u s i o n t h a t h e w a s p e r s e c u t e d o r h a s a

w e l l

- f o u n d e d f e a r o f f u t u r e p e r s e c u t i o n

. 2

C

. C A T R e l i e f

T o q u a l i f y f o r C A T r e l i e f

, a n a p p l i c a n t m u s t s h o w t h a t i t i s m o r e l i k e l y t h a n

n o t t h a t h e w i l l b e t o r t u r e d i f r e m o v e d t o t h e d e s i g n a t e d c o u n t r y o f r e m o v a l

. 8

C

. F

. R

. § 2 0 8

. 1 6 ( c ) ( 2 )

. H u a n g c l a i m s t h a t t h e C h i n e s e g o v e r n m e n t r o u t i n e l y

We note, howeve r, that there is reason to que stion the medical ce rtificate s Huang 2

submitt ed to support his claim that his wife ha d two forc ed abor tions. The State Depa

rtment’s

2005 China Profile indicates that the State D epar tment is unaware of any

officia l cer

tificates that

ref er to for ced a

bortions. Sim ilarly , the termination notice f rom Huang ’s employ er, w hich stated

that he wa s being terminated be cause he had twic e violated f amily planning reg ulations and left

his job in an attempt to avoid mandatory sterilization, i s also suspect g iven that it is inconsist ent

with Huang ’s testimony

conce rning the leng th of time that he wa s in hiding.

6t o r t u r e s r e t u r n i n g s m u g g l e d a l i e n s

. A l t h o u g h H u a n g t e s t i f i e d t h a t h e w a s

m i s t r e a t e d a f

t e r h i s f i r s t a t t e m p t t o l e a v e C h i n a

, H u a n g ’ s t e s t i m o n y w a s d i s c r e d i t e d

a n d c a n n o t b e u s e d t o p r o v e h i s e l i g i b i l i t y f o r C A T r e l i e f

. M o r e o v e r

, t h e 2 0 0 5

C h i n a P r o f

i l e s t a t e s t h a t t h e C h i n e s e g o v e r n m e n t d o e s n o t m i s t r e a t r e t u r n e e s w h o

l e f t t h e c o u n t r y i l l e g a l l y

. T h e r e f o r e

, s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e s u p p o r t s t h e f i n d i n g t h a t

H u a n g w a s n o t e l i g i b l e f o r C A T r e l i e f

.

I n c o n c l u s i o n

, w e d i s m i s s H u a n g ’ s p e t i t i o n f o r r e v i e w a s t o h i s a s y l u m c l a i m

a n d d e n y t h e p e t i t i o n a s t o h i s d u e p r o c e s s

, w i t h h o l d i n g o f r e m o v a l a n d C A T r e l i e f

c l a i m s

.

P E T I T I O N D I S M I S S E D I N P A R T A N D D E N I E D I N P A R T

.

7