FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC UIT NOV 8 , 2006 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- 16048 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ A ge nc yN o. A 78- 616- 289 M A R I A C R I S T I N A A N G U L O - G U Z M A N , J U A N G A R C I A - M I R A N D A , 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 do f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls

_________________________ ( N ove m b e r 8, 2006) B efo re B L A C K , B A R K E T T an dP R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: M ari a C ri st i n a A n g u l o -G u zm an (“ G u zm an ”) an dh er h u sb an d , Ju an Jo se2

G a r c i aM i r a nda( “ G a r c i a ” ) , pe t i t i on f orr e vi e w of

the de ni a l of

the i rappl i c a t i on f

or a s y lu m a n dw ith h o ld in g o f r e m o v a l. W e d e n yth e irp e titio n . I . B AC KG RO UN D G uz m a n i s de s c e nde d f

r om af a m i l yof w e a l thyr a nc he r s a nd f a rm e r s w ho l i ve i n E l G ua m o, C ol om bi a . F orge ne r a t i ons , he rf a m i l yha s be e n i nvol ve d i n the C o lo m b ia n L ib e r a l P a rty . G u z m a n a n dG a r c iam e t a s c o lle g e s tu d e n ts in B o g o ta w h ere G u zm an w as a m em b er o f th e L i b eral P arty an d , du ri n g v acat i o n s, pa rt i c i pa t e d i n he a l th a nd e duc a t i on a c t i vi t i e s a r ound E l G ua m o. I n 1997, the F A R C , a C ol om bi an t errori storgani za t i on , att em pt ed t o k i dn ap G uzm an’ s f ather a nd l a t e rs e nthi m thr e a t e ni ng l e tt e r s . B e tw e e n M a r c h 1999 a nd Jul y1999, G uz m a n r e c e i ve d s e ve r a l t e l e phone c a l l s f r om m e m be r s of

the F A R C w ho thr e a t e ne d t o ha rm he ri f s he di d nots t op he rhe a l th a nd e duc a t i on a c t i vi t i e s a nd l eave the re gi on . O n Jul y 4, 19 99 , G uzm an fl ew t o the U ni t ed S t at es t o j oi n h er th e n - f ia n c é , G a r c ia , w h o w a s in th is c o u n tryo n b u s in e s s . T h e F A R C c o n tin u e dits c a m p a ig n a g a in s t G u z m a n ’s f a m ilyin h e rab s e n c e . T he F A R C a s s a s s i na t e d he rf a the r ’ s c ous i n a nd hi s w i f e , a l s o f a rm e r s i n E l G ua m o, i n 2 0 0 2 a n d2 0 0 4 r e s p e c t i v e l y . Th e FARC f o r c e dac o u s i n o f

Gu z man t o f

l e e El G u a m o . T h e F A R C a ls o c o n tin u e dto th r e a te n G u z m a n ’s f a th e rb ys e n d in g h im lett er s th at d em an d ed th at h e m ee t w ith th em an dp ay a “w artax .” G u zm an ’s3

f a the rbe ga n m a na gi ng hi s bus i ne s s a f f a i r s f r om r e s i de nc e s i n othe rpa rt s of the c ountry . G uz m a n’ s s i s t e rm ove d t o S pa i n. In D ec em ber 27, 20 02 , the D epartm entof H om el and S ec uri ty i ni t i at ed pr oc e e di ngs t o de portG uz m a n a nd G a r c i a . G uz m a n f i l e d a n appl i c a t i on f

or a s y l um a nd w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l . T he I Jc ons i de r e d G uz m a n’ s appl i c a t i on f or a s y lu m tim e ly , b u t d e n ie dit. T h e I Ja ls o f o u n dth a t G u z m a n h a dn o t p r o v e dth a t it w o u ldb e m o r e lik e lyth a n n o t th a t s h e w o u ldb e p e r s e c u te dup o n r e tu rn in g to C ol om bi a and deni ed her pet i t i on for w i thh ol di ng . T he IJfoun d thatG uzm an m ay b e ab le to r e lo c a te w ith in C o lo m b iab e c au s e h e rp o litic a l a c tiv itie s h a db e e n lo c a l. G u z m a n a n dG a r c iaap p e a le dto th e B I A a n dm o v e dto s u b m it a d d itio n a l e v id e n c e . T he B IA di sm i ss ed the m ot i on t o al l ow new evi dence and adop t ed and affi rm ed th e d eci si o n o f th e IJ. I I . STA N D A R D O F R EVI EW “W e r e v ie w o n lyth e [ B I A ]’s d e c is io n , e x c e p t to th e e x te n t th a t it e x p r e s s ly a dopt s the I J ’ s opi ni on. ” R e y e s - S a nc he z v. U . S . A tt ’ yG e n. , 369 F . 3d 1239, 1242 ( 11th C i r . 2004) . W e r e vi e w l e ga l i s s ue s de novo, M oha m m e d v. A s hc r of t , 261 F . 3d 1244, 1247- 48 ( 11th C i r . 2001) , a nd “ a dm i ni s tr a t i ve f a c tf i ndi ngs unde rthe hi ghl yde f

e r e nt i a l s ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e t e s t , ” A de f e m i v. A s hc r of

t , 386 F . 3d 1022, 1 0 2 6 -2 7 (1 1 th C i r. 2 0 0 4 ) (en b an c), cert . d en i ed , 5 4 4 U . S . 1 0 3 5 (2 0 0 5 ). T o rev erse4

af a c tua l f i ndi ng, w e m us tc onc l ude tha tthe r e c or d c om pe l s ac ontr a ryf i ndi ng. I d. a t 1 0 2 7 . I I I . DI S CUS S I ON G uz m a n a nd G a r c i ac ha l l e nge the de ni a l of the i rappl i c a t i on f

ora s y l um a nd w ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l. B e c au s e G u z m a n a n dG a r c iaa d d r e s s th e d e n ia l o f th e ir m o tio n to s u b m it a d d itio n a l e v id e n c e o n lyin p a s s in g in th e s u m m a ryo f th e ir a r g u m e n t, th is is s u e is d e e m e dab a n d o n e d . S e p u lv e d a , 4 0 1 F .3 da t 1 2 2 8 n .2 ( n o tin g p r e c e d e n t th a t “p a s s in g r e f e r e n c e s to is s u e s a r e in s u f f ic ie n t to r a is e ac la im for app ea l , and such i ss ues are deem ed abando ned”). T he ar gu m ent s of G uzm an a n dG a r c iaf

a il. T h e A tto rn e yG e n e r a l h a s d is c r e tio n to g r a n t a s y lu m to a n a lie n w h o is unabl e orunw i l l i ng t o r e turn t o hi s orhe rhom e c ountry“ be c aus e of pe r s e c ut i on or a w el l -f ou nd ed fe arof pers ec ut i on on ac coun tof . . . po l i t i ca l op i ni on . . . . ” . ’ ” I N A § 101( a ) ( 42) ( A ) , 8 U . S . C . § 1101( a ) ( 42) ( A ) . A r e f uge e s e e ki ng a s y l um

“ c a rr i e s the bur de n of

pr ovi ng [ he r ] s t a tut ory‘ r e f uge e ’ s t a tus a nd the r e by e s t abl i s hi ng a s y l um e l i gi bi l i ty . ” S e pul ve da , 401 F . 3d a t1230 ( c i t i ng A l N a jj a rv. A s h c r o f t, 2 5 7 F .3 d1 2 6 2 , 1 2 8 4 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 1 ) ) . “T o e s tab lis h a s y lu m e lig ib ility b asedo n p o l i t i cal o p i n i o n , th e al i en m u st , w i th cred i b l e ev i d en ce, est ab l i sh (1 ) p ast pe r s e c ut i on on a c c ountof he rpol i t i c a l opi ni on ora nyothe rpr ot e c t e d gr ound, or ( 2) a‘ w e l l - f

ounde d f e a r ’ tha the rpol i t i c a l opi ni on ora nyothe rpr ot e c t e d gr ound5

w ill c au s e f

u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n .” I d . a t 1 2 3 0 - 3 1 . W e h a v e h e ldth a t “‘p e r s e c u tio n ’ is an ‘ extre m e c on ce pt , ’ re qu i ri ng ‘ m ore than a few i sol at ed i nci dent s of verbal h a r a s s m e n t o rin tim id a tio n ,’ a n dth a t ‘[ m ]e r e h a r a s s m e n t d o e s n o t a m o u n t to p e r s e c u tio n .’” S e p u lv e d a , 4 0 1 F .3 da t 1 2 3 1 ( c ita tio n o m itte d ) ( b r a c k e ts in or i gi na l ) . “N ota l l e xc e pt i ona l tr e a tm e nti s pe r s e c ut i on. ” G onz a l e z v. R e no, 212 F . 3d 13 38 , 13 55 (11th C i r. 20 00 ). G uzm an “ m ustes t abl i sh thatthe gu er i l l as pe r s e c ut e d he rorw i l l s e e k t o pe r s e c ut e he ri n the f utur e be c aus e of

he ra c tua l or im p u te dp o litic a l o p in io n .” S a n c h e z v . U .S . A tt’yG e n ., 3 9 2 F .3 d4 3 4 , 4 3 8 ( 1 1 th C i r. 20 04 ) ( i nt ernal ci t at i on om i tt ed) ( em ph as i s i n o ri gi nal ). T he re cord do es no tcom pel re vers alof the concl usi on s thatG uzm an fa i l ed to e s tab lis h e ith e rp a s t p e r s e c u tio n o raw 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 . E ven i f the ki dn api ng att em ptand ass as si nat i on s of G uzm an’ s r el at i ves w er e s u f f ic ie n t to e s tab lis h th a t G u z m a n h a daw e ll- f o u n d e df e a ro f b e in g in d a n g e rif re turned t o C ol om bi a, the re cord do es no tcom pel the concl usi on thatthi s f ear w as on a c c ountof

G uz m a n’ s pol i t i c a l opi ni on. G uz m a n di d note s t abl i s h tha tthe a tt a c ks on he rf

a m i l ym e m be r s w e r e on a c c ountof e i the rhe rpol i t i c a l opi ni on or th e p o l i t i cal o p i n i o n o f h er fam i l y, w h i ch th e F A R C i s aw are th atsh e sh ares. B e c aus e s ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e s upport s the de ni a l of the i rappl i c a t i on f

or a s y l u m, Gu z man a n dGa r c i aa r e n o te n t i t l e dt o wi th h o l d i n g o f r e mo v a l . “ To qu al i fyfor w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al , an al i en m usthave es t abl i shed thati ti s m ore6

l i kel y than n otthather l i fe or fr ee do m w ou l d b e threa t ened on ac coun tof a s t a tut or i l ypr ot e c t e d f

a c t ori f r e turne d t o C ol om bi a . ” S e pul ve da , 401 F . 3d a t1243 ( c itin g I N A § 2 4 1 ( b ) ( 3 ) , 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 3 1 ( b ) ( 3 ) ) . “W h e r e a n ap p lic a n t is u n ab le to m e e tthe ‘ w e l l - f

ounde d f e a r ’ s t a nda r d f

ora s y l um , [ s ] he i s ge ne r a l l ypr e c l ude d f r om q u a lif y in g f o re ith e ra s y lu m o rw ith h o ld in g o f [ r e m o v a l].” I d . ( b r a c k e ts in o r ig in a l) ( q u o tin g A l N a jja r , 2 5 7 F .3 da t 1 2 9 2 - 9 3 ) . I V . CONCL US I ON G uzm an’ s and G ar ci a’ s pet i t i on s are DE NI E D.