Source: https://m.openjurist.org/482/f3d/652/shehu-v-attorney-general-of-united-states
Timestamp: 2019-08-17 20:43:05
Document Index: 210181929

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 208', '§ 1187', '§ 1187', '§ 208', '§ 217', '§ 1252', '§ 1252', '§ 1158', '§ 1252', '§ 1252', '§ 217', '§ 1252', '§ 1252', '§ 1105', '§ 1252', '§ 1252', '§ 1101', '§ 208', '§ 208', '§ 1208', '§ 208']

482 F3d 652 Shehu v. Attorney General of United States | OpenJurist
482 F. 3d 652 - Shehu v. Attorney General of United States
482 F3d 652 Shehu v. Attorney General of United States
482 F.3d 652
Arjan SHEHU, Petitioner
Robert J. Pures II, Esq., Aleksander B. Milch, Esq., Charles Christophe, Esq., Christophe & Associates, P.C., New York, NY, for Petitioner.
Peter D. Keisler, Esq., William C. Peachey, Esq., Paul F. Stone, Esq., Marion E.M. Erickson, Esq., U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., for Respondent.
Before SMITH and FISHER, Circuit Judges, and DOWD, District Judge*.
Arjan Shehu is a native and citizen of Albania. Shehu sought admission to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program ("VWP"), which permits aliens from certain countries to enter the United States for 90 days without a visa. Shehu violated the program by overstaying that period. The Immigration Judge ("IJ") denied him asylum and withholding of removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA"), and relief under the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment ("CAT"). The Board of Immigration Appeals ("BIA") adopted and affirmed the IJ's decision. We hold that we have jurisdiction to review the BIA's denial of a VWP applicant's petition for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the CAT. However, we will affirm the decisions of the BIA and the IJ on the merits of Shehu's claims.
Shehu arrived in Miami, Florida on December 22, 2002. He claimed that he was an applicant to the VWP. The authorities became aware that he was violating that program and served him with a Notice of Referral to an IJ on December 11, 2003. Shehu conceded that he was a VWP violator and filed an application for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the CAT, recounting the above facts and requesting relief. The IJ found that the criminal gang that pursued Shehu did not do so on the basis of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion—but out of a mere desire for money. The IJ also held that any presumption of a well founded fear of future persecution arising from his 1991 imprisonment was rebutted by the many years Shehu spent without persecution and by the collapse of the Communist regime. The IJ denied his request for asylum, withholding of removal and relief under the CAT. However, the IJ did not expressly order Shehu removed, because Shehu was referred to the IJ for "asylum-only" proceedings. According to agency regulations, these proceedings deal only with petitions "for asylum or withholding or deferral of removal [under the INA or CAT], and whether asylum shall be granted in the exercise of discretion." See 8 C.F.R. § 208.2(c)(3)(i). The alien cannot contest removability or admissibility and cannot present other grounds for relief. Id. The BIA affirmed and adopted the IJ's decision.
We must determine whether we have jurisdiction over Shehu's appeal before we can proceed to the merits of his claim. Both parties contend that we have jurisdiction. However, "[d]espite the agreement of both parties, we have an independent obligation to examine our jurisdiction to hear this appeal." Collinsgru v. Palmyra Bd. of Educ., 161 F.3d 225, 229 (3d Cir.1998).
Shehu was processed as an applicant in the VWP program, which allows entrants from certain countries to visit the United States for 90 days or less without a visa. See 8 U.S.C. § 1187(a). Aliens admitted under this program forfeit the right to challenge the basis of their removal, though they may still apply for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the CAT. See 8 U.S.C. § 1187(b). Therefore, VWP participants who apply for asylum are granted "asylum-only" hearings. See 8 C.F.R. § 208.2(c)(i). If the applicant is denied relief in those proceedings, the VWP participant can be removed without any further process. 8 C.F.R. § 217.4(a)(1). The BIA issued a final order denying Shehu's application for relief.
We must determine if the BIA's denial of Shehu's application for relief is a reviewable order. The jurisdictional basis for our review of immigration determinations is found at 8 U.S.C. § 1252. It provides:
Judicial review of a final order of removal (other than an order of removal without a hearing pursuant to section 1225(b)(1) of this title) is governed only by chapter 158 of Title 28, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section. ...
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no court shall have jurisdiction to review ... (ii) any other decision or action of the Attorney General the authority for which is specified under this subchapter to be in the discretion of the Attorney General, other than the granting of relief under section 1158(a) of this title.
8 U.S.C. § 1252. Section 1158(a) states that, "[a]ny alien who is physically present in the United States or who arrives in the United States . . . irrespective of such alien's status, may apply for asylum in accordance with this section." 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a).
The Eleventh Circuit addressed the identical question and held that "[t]he denial of an asylum application in a[VWP] proceeding is so closely tied to the removal of the alien that it can be deemed—in conjunction with the referral to the immigration judge—as a final order of removal, subject to § 1252(a)(1)." Nreka v. Att'y Gen., 408 F.3d 1361, 1367 (11th Cir.2005). The Second Circuit came to the same conclusion, holding that:
Kanacevic v. INS, 448 F.3d 129, 134-35 (2d Cir.2006). This Court has never squarely considered this jurisdictional question in a precedential opinion. We hold that a denial of a VWP applicant's petition for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the CAT constitutes "a final order of removal" within the meaning of the statute, as the alien is entitled to no further process before deportation. 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(1); see also 8 C.F.R. § 217.4(a)(1). We therefore have jurisdiction over Shehu's appeal.
Our holding comports with the interpretation of the predecessor statute to 8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(1), which provided that jurisdiction over "all final orders of deportation ... made against aliens within the United States pursuant to administrative proceedings under [8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)]" lies exclusively in the courts of appeals. 8 U.S.C. § 1105a(a). The Supreme Court held that the term "final orders of deportation" included not only the actual order of deportation, but all orders closely related to the deportation proceeding conducted pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b) and entered during the proceeding. See Foti v. INS, 375 U.S. 217, 84 S.Ct. 306, 11 L.Ed.2d 281 (1963); Giova v. Rosenberg, 379 U.S. 18, 85 S.Ct. 156, 13 L.Ed.2d 90 (1964); see also Carvajal-Munoz v. INS, 743 F.2d 562, 566 (7th Cir.1984) (applying Foti to a denial of asylum). The Sixth Circuit clearly explained the rule, holding that "orders of deportation" include "any denial of discretionary relief during a deportation proceeding, where such relief, if granted, would foreclose deportation," such as, "[d]enials of applications for withholding of deportation or for asylum." Perkovic v. INS, 33 F.3d 615, 618 (6th Cir.1994).
We hold that 8 U.S.C. § 1252 vests us with jurisdiction to hear Shehu's appeal from a denial of asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the CAT.
B. Asylum, Withholding of Removal, and Relief under The Convention Against Torture
As the BIA adopted the IJ's decision, we review the decisions of both the IJ and the BIA. See Chen v. Ashcroft, 376 F.3d 215, 222 (3d Cir.2004). We review the IJ and BIA's findings for substantial evidence and, therefore, may not set them aside unless a reasonable factfinder would be compelled to find to the contrary. See INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 481, 112 S.Ct. 812, 117 L.Ed.2d 38 (1992). An alien must demonstrate that he is a "refugee" in order to receive a grant of asylum. See INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. 421, 428 n. 5, 107 S.Ct. 1207, 94 L.Ed.2d 434 (1987). A "refugee" is defined as an alien "unable or unwilling" to return to his country of origin "because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion." 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42)(A). The alien must have a subjectively genuine fear of persecution and provide credible evidence that his fear is objectively reasonable. See Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. at 431, 107 S.Ct. 1207.
An applicant who establishes past persecution is "entitled to a presumption that his life or freedom will be threatened if he returns." Gabuniya v. Att'y Gen., 463 F.3d 316, 321 (3d Cir.2006); see 8 C.F.R. § 208.16(b)(1). The Government may rebut this presumption by demonstrating by a preponderance of the evidence that "[t]here has been a fundamental change in circumstances such that the applicant's life or freedom would not be threatened ... upon the applicant's removal." 8 C.F.R. § 208.16(b)(1)(i)(A) and (b)(1)(ii). Substantial evidence supports the IJ's conclusion that any presumption of a well-founded fear of future persecution arising from Shehu's 1991 imprisonment is rebutted by the collapse of the Communist regime and the eleven years during which Shehu was free from government persecution.
To demonstrate entitlement to relief under the CAT, Shehu must show that he is "more likely than not" to be tortured if he returns to Albania. 8 C.F.R. § 1208.16(c)(2). The torture must be "inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity." 8 C.F.R. § 208.18(a)(1). No evidence in the record compels the conclusion that Shehu is "more likely than not" to be tortured with the consent or acquiescence of the Albanian government upon his return.