FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC UIT JUNE 4, 2008 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. 07- 13264 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ B I A N o. A 98- 674- 177 M A R I A M D O U M B I A F O F A N A , P e titio n e r , 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 d o f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls

_________________________ ( Ju n e 4, 2008) B efo re A N D E R S O N , C A RN E S an d B A R K E T T , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: M a r ia m D o u m b iaF o f

a n a( “D o u m b ia ” ) , an a tiv e a n d c itiz e n o f I v o ryC o a s t,Doumbia conc edes that we lack jurisdiction to review the IJ ’s and B IA’s determination that 1 her a sylum application was untimely . See I NA § 208(a)(3) , 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(3) . 2 p e titio n s th is C o u rt to r e v ie w a n o r d e ro f th e B o a r d o f

I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls (“ B IA ”) di sm i ss i ng her app ea l of the Im m i grat i on Judg e’ s ( “ IJ ”) order of re m ov al and w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al un der the Im m i grat i on and N at i on al i ty A ct(“ IN A ”) , a n d r e lie f

u n d e rth e U n ite d N a tio n s C o n v e n tio n A g a in s t T o rtu r e a n d O th e rC ru e l, Inhu m an, or D egra di ng T re atm entor P un i shm ent(“ C A T ”) . O n r e v ie w , D o u m b ia 1 chal l enges the IJ ’ s and B IA ’ s a dv er se cr edi bi l i ty f i nd i ng s, and argues thatshe m et h e rb u r d e n o f

p r o o f t o e s t ab l i s h e l i g i b i l i tyf o rwi th h o l d i n g o f

r e m o v a l a n d C AT r e lie f . 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 adop t s the IJ ’ s opi ni on . A l N ajj arv. A shcr oft , 25 7 F . 3d 12 62 , 12 84 (11th C i r. 2 0 0 1 ) . W h e r e th e B I A e x p r e s s lya d o p ts a n d a f f irm s th e I J ’s d e c is io n a n d a d d s its ow n a na l y s i s , w e r e vi e w the I J ’ s de c i s i on a s s uppl e m e nt e d bythe B I A . S a voury v. U . S . A tt ’ yG e n. , 449 F . 3d 1307, 1312 ( 11th C i r . 2006) . T o the e xt e nttha tthe B I A’ s d e c i s i o n wa s b a s e d o n al e g a l d e t e rm i n a t i o n , r e v i e w i s d e n o v o . DM uhum e d v. U . S . A tt ’ yG e n. , 388 F . 3d 814, 817 ( 11th C i r . 2004) . T he B I A ’ s a nd IJ ’ s f ac tual det erm i nat i on s, ho w ever , ar e r evi ew ed un der the subst ant i al evi dence t e s t , w hi c h r e qui r e s us t o “ vi e w the r e c or d i n the l i ghtm os tf a vor abl e t o the agency ’ s dec i si on and d raw al l re as on abl e i nfer ence s i n favor of thatdeci si on . ”3

A d e f e m i v . A s h c r o f

t, 3 8 6 F .3 d 1 0 2 2 , 1 0 2 6 - 2 7 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) ( e n b a n c ) . W e w ill a f f i rm the I JorB I A ’ s de c i s i on “ i f i ti s s upport e d byr e a s onabl e , s ubs t a nt i a l , a nd pr oba t i ve e vi de nc e on the r e c or d c ons i de r e d a s aw hol e . ” D - M uhum e d, 388 F . 3d a t818 ( quot a t i on om i tt e d) . “ T o r e ve r s e the . . . f a c tf i ndi ngs , w e m us tf

i nd tha tthe r e c o r d n o t o n lys u p p o rts r e v e r s a l, b u t c o m p e ls it.” M e n d o z av . U .S . A tt’yG e n ., 3 2 7 F .3 d 1 2 8 3 , 1 2 8 7 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 3 ) . T he A tt orney G ener al “ m ayno tre m ov e an al i en t o a coun tryi f the A tt orney G ener al deci des thatthe al i en’ s l i fe or fr ee do m w ou l d b e threa t ened i n thatcoun try because of the al i en’ s r ac e, re l i gi on , nat i on al i ty, m em bers hi p i n a part i cul arsoci al g r o u p , o rp o l i t i c a l o p i n i o n . ” I NA § 2 4 1 ( b ) ( 3 ) ( A) , 8 U. S . C . § 1 2 3 1 ( b ) ( 3 ) ( A) . “ An a l i e n be a r s the bur de n of de m ons tr a t i ng tha t[ 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 [ he r ] r e turn t o the c ountryi n que s t i on. ” M e ndoz a , 327 F .3 d a t 1 2 8 7 . I f

c r e d ib le , ap e titio n e r ’s te s tim o n ym a yb e e n o u g h to s a tis f yth is bu rden w i tho utcorr ob orat i on . Id. A n app l i cantfor w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al m ay nots how m e r e l ytha ts he i s am e m be rof apa rt i c ul a rs oc i a l gr oup, butm us ts how pers ec ut i on on ac coun tof m em bers hi p i n a part i cul arsoci al grou p. C as t i l l o-A ri as v . U .S . A tt’yG e n ., 4 4 6 F .3 d 1 1 9 0 , 1 1 9 8 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 6 ) , c e rt. d e n ie d , 1 2 7 S .C t. 9 7 7 ( 2 0 0 7 ) ; I N A § 2 4 1 ( b ) ( 3 ) ( A ) , 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 3 1 ( b ) ( 3 ) ( A ) . T he bur de n of

pr oof i s on the appl i c a ntt o e s t abl i s h e l i gi bi l i tyf or w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al un der the C A T . 8 C . F . R . § 2 08 . 16 (c )( 2); R ey es -S anchez4

v . U . S . A tt ’ y G en . , 3 6 9 F . 3 d 1 2 3 9 , 1 2 4 2 (1 1 th C i r. 2 0 0 4 ). T h e ap p l i can tm u st e s t abl i s h tha ti ti s m or e l i ke l ytha n nottha ts he w oul d be t ortur e d i f r e turne d t o the pr opos e d c ountryof

r e m ova l . I d. T he appl i c a ntm us ta l s o de m ons tr a t e tha tthe f e a r e d to rtu r e w o u ld b e b yth e g o v e rn m e n t o rw ith th e g o v e rn m e n t’s a c q u ie s c e n c e . R e y e s - S a nc he z , 369 F . 3d a t1242. W e r e vi e w c r e di bi l i tyde t e rm i na t i ons unde rthe s ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e t e s ta nd w ill n o t s u b s titu te o u rju d g m e n t f o rth a t o f th e I Jo rB I A w ith r e s p e c t to c r e d ib ility f in d in g s . D - M u h u m e d , 3 8 8 F .3 d a t 8 1 8 . [T ] h e IJ [o r B IA ] m u sto ffer sp eci fi c, co g en treaso n s fo r an ad v erse c r e di bi l i tyf

i ndi ng. O nc e a n a dve r s e c r e di bi l i tyf i ndi ng i s m a de , the b u rd en i s o n th e ap p l i can tal i en t o sh o w th atth e IJ’ s [o r B IA ’ s] c r e di bi l i tyde c i s i on w a s nots upport e d bys pe c i f i c , c oge ntr e a s ons or w a s notba s e d on s ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e . A c r e di bi l i tyde t e rm i na t i on, lik e a n yf

a c t f in d in g , m a yn o t b e o v e rtu rn e d u n le s s th e r e c o r d c o m p e ls it. F or gue v. U . S . A tt ’ yG e n. , 401 F . 3d 1282, 1287 ( 11th C i r . 2005) ( c i t a t i ons a nd q u o ta tio n s o m itte d ) .

“ I ndi c a t i ons of

r e l i abl e t e s t i m ony i nc l ude c ons i s t e nc yon di r e c te xa m i na t i on, consi st encyw i th the w ri tt en appl i ca t i on , and the abse nce of emb el l i shm ent s. ” R ui z v. U . S . A tt ’ y G en. , 44 0 F . 3d 12 47 , 12 55 (11th C i r. 20 06 ). If cr edi bl e, an a l i e n’ s t e s t i m onym a ybe s uf f i c i e nt , w i thoutc orr obor a t i on, t o s us t a i n he rbur de n of proo f i n est abl i shi ng her e l i gi bi l i ty f or re l i ef fr om re m ov al . F orgu e, 40 1 F . 3d at 1 2 8 7 . “C o n v e r s e ly , a n a d v e r s e c r e d ib ilityd e te rm in a tio n a lo n e m a yb e s u f f ic ie n t to5

su p p o rt th e d en ial o f a n as ylu m ap p li ca ti o n .” Id . “ T h e w ea k eran ap p li ca n t’ s testim o n y, . . . th e g re aterth e n ee d fo r c o rr o b o ra ti v e e v id en ce .” Y an g v . U .S . A tt ’y G en ., 4 1 8 F .3 d 1 1 9 8 , 1 2 0 1 (1 1 th C ir. 2 0 0 5 ). W e h av e h eld th at an ap p li ca n t’ s fa i l ure t o m ent i on ce rt ai n aspec t s of hercl ai m before the heari ng can sup po rtan advers e c re di bi l i ty f

i nd i ng . F orgu e, 40 1 F . 3d at12 87 (hol di ng thati n l i gh tof an appl i c a nt ’ s om i s s i on of

va r i ous r e l e va ntf

a c t s f r om hi s a s y l um appl i c a t i on,

“ subst ant i al evi dence s up po rt [e d] the IJ ’ s a dv er se cr edi bi l i ty det erm i nat i on ”) I n thi s c a s e , the B I A e xpr e s s l ya dopt e d a nd a f f i rm e d the I J ’ s de c i s i on a nd a d d e d i t s o wn a n a l y s i s r e g a r d i n g th e a d v e r s e c r e d i b i l i tyf i n d i n g . T h e r e f

o r e , we r e v ie w , u n d e rth e s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e te s t, th e I J ’s d e c is io n r e g a r d in g e lig ib ility f orw i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l a nd C A T r e l i e f , a nd the I J ’ s a dve r s e c r e di bi l i tyf i ndi ng as supp l em ent ed by the B IA . A l N ajj ar , 25 7 F . 3d at12 84 ; S avou ry , 44 9 F . 3d at 1312; A de f

e m i , 386 F . 3d a t1026- 27. U pon r e vi e w of the r e c or d, a nd upon co n sid er atio n o f th e b rief s o f th e p ar ti es , w e c o n clu d e th at th e I J’s a n d B IA ’s a d v e r s e c r e d ib ilityf

in d in g , a n d th e I J ’s f

in d in g s r e g a r d in g D o u m b ia ’s e lig ib ility w ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l a n d C A T r e lie f , w e r e b a s e d o n s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e . T he IJand B IA expl i ci t l y f ou nd thatD ou m bi a’ s t es t i m on y w as no tcr edi bl e, they gave s peci fi c, cogentre as on s f or thei r det erm i nat i on , and thei r f i nd i ng s w er e supp ort ed by subst ant i al evi dence. B ec ause D ou m bi a w as foun d n ott o b e c re di bl e, s he ne e de d t o pr e s e ntothe re vi de nc e t o e s t abl i s h e l i gi bi l i tyf orw i thhol di ng of6

r e m o v a l o rC A T r e lie f

, b u t s h e f

a ile d to d o s o . T h u s , s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e s u p p o rts th e f i n d i n g th a tDo u m b i awa s n o te l i g i b l e f o rwi th h o l d i n g o f

r e m o v a l o rC AT r e l i e f . A c c or di ngl y , w e de nythe pe t i t i on. P E T I T I ON DE NI E D.