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 Z HO NG GU I C AO , 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. 10- 71953 A ge nc yN o. A 099- 402- 038 ME MOR AN DU M *

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the B o a r do f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls A r gue d a nd S ubm i tt e d June 13, 2012

H o n o lu lu , H a w a ii B efo re: S C H R O E D E R , C A L L A H A N , an dN . R . S M IT H , C i rcu i tJu d g es.

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o ra s y lu m a n dw ith h o ld in g o f r e m o v a l. W e ha ve j ur i s di c t i on unde r8 U . S . C . § 1252. W e r e vi e w f ors ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e the



# FI LED JU N 22 2012 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

B I A ’s f a c tu a l f in d in g s . Zehat

ye v. G on zales , 45 3 F . 3d 11 82 , 11 84 -85 (9th C i r. 2 0 0 6 ) . We d e n yth e p e t i t i o n f o rr e v i e w. 1 . S u b st an t i al ev i d en ce su p p o rt s th e B IA ’ s fi n d i n g th atC ao d i dn o tsu ffer p ast pe r s e c ut i on w he r e he w a s de t a i ne d f ortw o da y s , w i thoutphy s i c a l i nj ury , a nd w a rn e do n c e n o t to p a rtic ip a te in C h r is tian h o u s e c h u r c h e s . See G u v. G on zales , 454 F . 3d 1014, 1019- 21 ( 9th C i r . 2006) ( br i e f de t e nt i on, be a t i ng, a nd i nt e rr oga t i on di d notc om pe l af

i ndi ng of pa s tpe r s e c ut i on byC hi ne s e pol i c e on a c c ountof u n s a n c tio n e dr e lig io u s p r a c tic e ) ; s e e a l s o Pra s a d

v . I NS , 47 F . 3d 33 6, 34 0 (9th C i r. 1995) ( “ A l though ar e a s onabl e f a c t f i nde rc oul d ha ve f

ound thi s i nc i de nts uf

f i c i e nt t o e s t abl i s h pa s tpe r s e c ut i on, w e do notbe l i e ve tha taf a c t f i nde rw oul d be c o m p e lle dto d o s o .” ) . 2. S ubs t a nt i a l e vi de nc e a l s o s upport s the B I A ’ s f i ndi ng tha tC a o doe s notha ve aw 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 . Se e Gu , 4 5 4 F . 3 dat1 0 2 1 -2 2 . B ecau se C a o d idn o t s u f

f e rf r o m p a s t p e r s e c u tio n , h e d o e s n o t h a v e ar e b u ttab le p r e s u m p tio n o f

f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n . See 8 C . F . R . § 1208. 13( b) ( 1) . C a o ha s not d e m o n s tr a te de v e n ate n p e r c e n t c h a n c e o f f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n . Al

- H a r b iv . I NS , 242 F . 3d 882, 888 ( 9th C i r . 2001) . H i s s i m i l a r l ys i tua t e d w i f e r e m a i ns i n C hi na a n dc o n tin u e s to p a rtic ip a te in h o u s e c h u r c h a c tiv itie s w ith o u t in c id e n t. See H a ke e m v . I

NS , 273 F . 3d 812, 816 ( 9th C i r . 2001) ( “ A n appl i c a nt ’ s c l a i m of3

pers ec ut i on up on re turn i s w eakened, even un derc ut , w hen si m i l ar l y- si tuat ed fam i l y m em bers cont i nu e t o l i ve i n the coun tryw i tho uti nci dent. . . . ” ( i nt ernal q u o ta tio n m a rk s a n dc ita tio n o m itte d ) ) , s upe rs e de d bys tatute on othe rgr ounds as stated i n R am adan v. G on zalez , 47 9 F . 3d 64 6, 65 0 (9th C i r. 20 07 ). W hi l e other m e m be r s of

C a o’ s hous e c hur c h ha ve be e n a rr e s t e d, the r e i s no e vi de nc e r e ga r di ng the det ai l s of the arre st . L as t l y, coun tryre po rt s do n oti nd i ca t e thatfuture p ersecu t i o n i s l i k el y, b ecau se C ao i s n o ta p ro m i n en tl ead er n o r i n a l arg e h o u se c h u r c h g r o up . Se e Mo l i n a - Es tra da v . I NS , 2 9 3 F .3 d1 0 8 9 , 1 0 9 5 - 9 6 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 2 ) . T hus , “ [ a ] r e a s onabl e f

a c t f i nde rw oul d notbe c om pe l l e d t o c onc l ude tha t[ C a o] ei ther s uffe re d p as tpers ec ut i on or has aw el l -f ou nd ed fe arof pers ec ut i on . ” Gu , 4 5 4 F . 3 dat1 0 2 2 . A cco rd i n g l y, C ao ’ s asyl u m cl ai m fai l s. 3 . C a o d idn o t a s s e rt th a t th e B I A e rr e din d e n y in g w ith h o ld in g o f r e m o v a l in h is o p e n in g b r ie f

. T h u s , it is w a iv e d . Se e M a r t i n ez - Se rra n o v . I

NS , 94 F . 3d 1256, 1 2 5 9 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 9 6 ) ( is s u e n o t a r g u e din o p e n in g b r ie f d e e m e dw a iv e d ) . E v e n if notw a i ve d, be c aus e C a o f a i l e d t o e s t abl i s h hi s e l i gi bi l i tyf ora s y l um , he ne c e s s a r i l yf

a i l e d t o m e e tthe hi ghe rs t a nda r d of e l i gi bi l i tyf

orw i thhol di ng of r e m o v a l. See Zehat

ye , 453 F . 3d a t1190. P E T I T I ON F OR RE V I E W DE NI E D.