T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by9th C i r . R . 36- 3. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T B AL WANT S I NG H, P et i t i on er , v. E R I C H . H O L D E R , J r ., A tto rn e yG e n e r a l, R e s p o n d e n t. N o. 06- 72978 A ge nc yN o. A 097- 548- 914 ME MOR AN DU M *

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1 . T he B I A e xpr e s s l yr e l i e d on al i ne of i t s de c i s i ons tha ts t a nd f orthe pr opos i t i on tha t , e ve n w he n “ a n a dve r s e c r e di bi l i tyde t e rm i na t i on w oul d notbe ap p r o p r ia te ,” a n ap p lic a n t s e e k in g a s y lu m o rw ith h o ld in g o f r e m o v a l m u s t s till prod uce c orrobo ra t i ng evi dence i f hi s t es t i m on y i s notsuff i ci ent l y “ bel i evabl e, consi st ent , ” and “ det ai l ed. ” See M at terof S-M-J - , 21 I . & N . D e c . 722, 729, 731 (B IA 19 97 ). T ho se ca se s hol d thatthe abse nce of corr ob orat i ng evi dence can c ons t i tut e af

a i l ur e bya n othe rw i s e c r e di bl e appl i c a ntt o m e e thi s “ bur de n of pr oof ” w i th r e s pe c tt o e s t abl i s hi ng e l i gi bi l i tyf ora s y l um orw i thhol di ng of r e m o v a l. Id . a t 7 3 1 . F o llo w in g th o s e c a s e s , th e B I A h e ld th a t S in g h “f a ile d to carry hi s burden o f proof. ” H e r e th e B I A s ta te d th a t S in g h “f a ile d to c r e d ib lye s tab lis h h is id e n tity ,” but ga ve a s r e a s ons f

orthi s c onc l us i on onl ytha tS i ngh di d notpr oduc e c orr obor a t i ng e vi de nc e s uc h a s a n or i gi na l pa s s portorabi rth c e rt i f i c a t e . T a ke n i n the c ont e xtof the B IA ’ s di sc ussi on of the need for appl i cant s t o p rodu ce corr ob orat i ng evi dence e v e n w h e n th e a g e n c yd o e s n o t m a k e a n a d v e r s e c r e d ib ilityd e te rm in a tio n , th is st at em entre gardi ng S i ng h’ s c re di bi l i ty does notsa t i sf y our re qu i re m entthat a d v e r s e c r e d ib ilityd e te rm in a tio n s b e e x p r e s s . See, e. g. , R ec i no s de L eon v. G on zales , 40 0 F . 3d 11 85 , 11 91 (9th C i r. 20 05 ); Ka lu b i v . A s h c r o ft , 364 F . 3d 1134, 1 1 3 7

– 3 8 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) . N o rw a s th e r e a n ys u c h e x p r e s s c r e d ib ilityf in d in g w ith- 3-

r e g a r d to w h e th e rth e in c id e n ts a n d c ir c u m s ta n c e s to w h ic h S in g h te s tif ie d a c tu a lly oc c urr e d. 2 . In the abse nce of an expl i ci tadvers e c re di bi l i ty det erm i nat i on , the B IA erre d b y r equi ri ng S i ng h t o p rodu ce evi dence corr ob orat i ng hi s t es t i m on y. P re R E A L I D A c t la w ap p lie s in th is c a s e . F o rp r e - R E A L I D c a s e s , th e “ru le es t abl i shed i n [the l i ne of cas es re l i ed on by the B IA ] . . . i s unequ i vo ca l l y c on trary t o the rul e i n thi s c i rc ui t . ” La dh a v . I NS , 21 5 F . 3d 88 9, 89 9 (9th C i r. 20 00 ); Ka ta r i a v . I

NS , 2 3 2 F . 3 d 1 1 0 7 , 1 1 1 4 (9 th C i r. 2 0 0 0 ). B ecau se n o ex p l i ci tad v erse c r e di bi l i tyde t e rm i na t i on w a s m a de , S i ngh’ s t e s t i m ony , i nc l udi ng hi s a f f i rm a t i ons of hi s i dent i ty and hi s des cr i pt i on s of hi s arr es tand abu se , shou l d h ave been c r e d ite d a s tru e . See Si ng h v. G on zales , 4 9 1 F .3 d 1 0 1 9 , 1 0 2 5 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 7 ) . T aki ng S i ng h’ s t es t i m on y thathe w as S i ng h as true, i tnece ss ar i l y f ol l ow s that S i n g h est ab l i sh ed h i s i d en t i ty. T h e o n l y q u est i o n rem ai n i n g w as “ w h eth er th ese f a c t s [ t o w hi c h S i ngh t e s t i f i e d] , a nd the i rr e a s onabl e i nf e r e nc e s , s a t i s f[ i e d] the el em ent s of the cl ai m for r el i ef . N o further c orrobo ra t i on [w as ] re qu i re d. ” L adha , 2 1 5 F .3 d a t 9 0 0 ; se e al

so Karap et

yan v. Mukasey , 54 3 F . 3d 11 18 , 11 24 (9th C i r. 20 08 ); Ka ta r ia , 2 3 2 F .3 d a t 1 1 1 4 . 3 . N ei ther the IJno r the B IA art i cul at ed an i nt el l i gi bl e hol di ng as t o w hether S i ng h’ s t es t i m on y, i f c re di t ed as true, w ou l d h ave dem on stra t ed thathe w as- 4-

pers ec ut ed on ac coun tof hi s m em bers hi p i n a prot ec t ed grou p and there fore el i gi bl e f or as yl um or ent i t l ed t o w i thh ol di ng . “ W e w i l l no t‘ gu es s a tthe theory un derl yi ng ’ the IJ ’ s or the B IA ’ s opi ni on , ” and there fore m ustre m and t o the B IA f o rc o n s id e r a tio n o f

th is is s u e in th e f

ir s t in s ta n c e . R e c i nos de L e on , 40 0 F . 3d at 1189, 1194 ( c i t i ng SE Cv . Che ne r yC or p. , 33 2 U . S . 19 4, 19 7 (19 47 )) . B e c aus e the B I A f

a i l e d t o c r e di tS i ngh’ s t e s t i m ony a s true f orpurpos e s of d e te rm in in g w h e th e rS in g h e s tab lis h e d e lig ib ilityf o ra s y lu m o re n title m e n t to w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al , w e a ss um e thatthe B IA m ade the sa m e e rr or w i th res pect to a s s e s s in g S in g h ’s C A T c la im , a s th e B I A m a d e n o in d ic a tio n to th e c o n tr a ry . W e the r e f

or e r e m a nd t o a l l ow the B I A t o de t e rm i ne w he the rS i ngh qua l i f i e d f or r e lie f u n d e rC A T . W e gr a ntS i ngh’ s pe t i t i on a nd r e m a nd t o the B I A f orf urthe rpr oc e e di ngs c o n s i s t e n tw i th th i s M e mo r a n d u m. PETI TI O N G R A N TED ; R EM A N D ED