Source: http://openjurist.org/266/f3d/1094
Timestamp: 2013-05-21 21:13:01
Document Index: 64039243

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 101', '§ 1101', '§ 208', '§ 1158', '§ 101', '§ 1101', '§ 1101', '§ 241', '§ 1231', '§ 208', '§ 101', '§ 1101', '§ 208', '§ 101', '§ 1101', '§ 1158', '§ 1158']

To establish eligibility for asylum, a petitioner must show that he or she is a "refugee" within the meaning of I.N.A. §§ 101(a)(42)(A), 8 U.S.C. §§ 1101(a)(42)(A). I.N.A. §§ 208(b)(1), 8 U.S.C. §§ 1158(b)(1) (Supp. II 1996). A refugee is defined as a person who is unwilling or unable to return to his home country because he has experienced past persecution or has a well-founded fear of future persecution on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. I.N.A. §§ 101(a)(42)(A), 8 U.S.C. §§ 1101(a)(42)(A) (Supp. II 1996). Resistance to coercive family planning measures is expressly included within the "political opinion" ground for asylum. 8 U.S.C. §§ 1101(a)(42)(B) (Supp. II 1996).
An application for asylum made in removal proceedings is also considered a request for withholding of removal. I.N.A. §§ 241(b)(3), 8 U.S.C. §§ 1231(b)(3) (Supp. II 1996); see also 8 C.F.R. §§ 208.3(b) (2000). However, the applicant must meet a stricter standard of proof for this relief,"in part because an applicant who meets that standard is not only eligible for, but entitled to, such relief." Navas v. I.N.S., 217 F.3d 646, 655 (9th Cir. 2000). Withholding of removal will be granted where an applicant establishes a "clear probability" that he or she would be persecuted if returned to his or her home country. Id. In other words, an applicant must establish that it is "more likely than not" that he or she will be persecuted on a statutorily-protected ground. Id.
In finding Chen not to be credible, the BIA also cited inconsistencies in the grounds upon which Chen based his first and second asylum applications. Specifically, Chen's first application was based upon his and his father's prodemocratic activities, and his second application cited China's coercive population control as basis for relief. Also, in his first application Chen identified himself as single, and in his second application he identified himself as married. All plausible and reasonable explanations for any inconsistencies must be considered. See Osorio v. I.N.S., 99 F.3d 928, 932 (9th Cir. 1996). In doing so, we find that the factors articulated by the BIA do not support an adverse credibility finding.
For these reasons, the BIA's adverse credibility finding is reversed. Given our finding of Chen's credibility, his statements should be accepted as true. See Kataria , 232 F.3d at 1113.
Because the BIA did not consider whether Chen had established eligibility for asylum or withholding, the INS contends that we must remand to the BIA to consider the merits of Chen's claim. However, based on sound principles of administrative law and jurisprudence, we generally "do not remand a matter to the BIA if, on the record before us, it is clear that we would be compelled to reverse its decision if it had decided the matter against the applicant." Navas, 217 F.3d at 662; see also Gafoor v. I.N.S., 231 F.3d 645, 656 n.6 (9th Cir. 2000). The incremental decision-making that may otherwise follow risks "a series of unnecessary and inefficient remands, to the detriment of the party seeking relief." Navas, 217 F.3d at 662.
A petitioner's past persecution and his well-founded fear of future persecution are alternative grounds upon which a petitioner can prove his or her eligibility for asylum. I.N.A. §§§§ 101(a)(42)(A), 208(a), 8 U.S.C. §§§§ 1101(a)(42)(A), 1158(a) (Supp. II 1996). For purposes of analyzing a claim for relief under the I.N.A., "persecution" is the infliction of suffering or harm upon those who differ in a way regarded as offensive. Pitcherskaia v. I.N.S., 118 F.3d 641, 647 (9th Cir. 1997). This is an objective definition, which turns on what a reasonable person would find "offensive." See id. A petitioner who establishes past persecution is presumed to have a well-founded fear of persecution. 8 C.F.R. §§ 208.13(b) (2000).4
To establish asylum eligibility on the basis of past persecution, an applicant must demonstrate "(1) an incident, or incidents, that rise to the level of persecution; (2) that is `on account of' one of the statutorily-protected grounds; and (3) is committed by the government or forces the government is either `unable or unwilling' to control." Chand v. I.N.S., 222 F.3d 1066, 1073 (9th Cir. 2000) (citing Navas , 217 F.3d at 655-56).
Next, Chen must meet two requirements to show that he was persecuted "on account of" his political opinion about China's family planning policies. First, Chen must establish that he held, or that his persecutors believed that he held, a political opinion. I.N.S. v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 482-83 (1992). Second, he must show that he was persecuted because of his political opinion. Id. at 483-84.
The record shows that Chen was married and conceived a child without the permission of the Chinese government. We find that these two acts in deliberate contravention of Chinese law show that Chen held a political opinion that contradicted Chinese law -namely, Chen's political opinion is based on freedom to create one's own family. In light of these two blatant acts of defiance, there is little doubt that Chinese family planning officials believed that Chen held this opinion. It is also clear that Chinese officials persecuted Chen because of his political opinion. When family planning notified the Chens of their violation and ordered Jiang to appear for an abortion, the Chens fled. Authorities continued to search for the couple. When he returned to China after his first petition for asylum was denied, Chinese officials finally caught Chen and punished him for evading the family planning laws. This persecution, based upon his resistance to China's family planning policies, is a statutorily-protected ground upon which Chen may seek asylum. See I.N.A. §§ 101(a)(42)(B), 8 U.S.C. §§ 1101(a)(42)(B) (Supp. II 1996).
In addition to finding that Chen is eligible for a discretionary grant of asylum, we also find that Chen meets the standard of proving that he is eligible for withholding of removal. The record shows a clear probability -or more than a fifty percent chance -that he would be persecuted if he were returned to his home country. See Lim v. I.N.S., 224 F.3d 929, 938 (9th Cir. 2000).
Chinese officials relentlessly pursued Chen after he and Jiang became pregnant. In addition to issuing a family planning notice requiring Jiang to appear for an abortion, they pursued the couple physically, searching for them at relatives' homes in the countryside. These actions were not idle threats, which became evident when they caught Chen and beat him unconscious. He has now fled China two times, which is a violation of Chinese law in itself. If he were to return to China, there is little doubt -and certainly more than a fifty percent chance -that his persecutors would continue to inflict emotional and physical punishment for his contravention of the family planning laws. For these reasons, we find that Chen is also entitled to withholding of deportation.
Our finding that Chen has credibly demonstrated his eligibility for relief does not automatically entitle him to asylum. Once it is determined that an applicant is statutorily eligible for asylum, the next inquiry "is whether the eligible applicant is entitled to asylum as a matter of discretion." Kazlauskas v. I.N.S., 46 F.3d 902, 905 (9th Cir. 1995); see also 8 U.S.C. §§ 1158(a) (Supp. II 1996). Under §§ 1158(a), the Attorney General has the discretionary authority to grant asylum. Yang v. I.N.S., 79 F.3d 932, 935 (9th Cir. 1996). We remand this part of Chen's claim for the Attorney General to determine, in the exercise of his discretion, whether to grant asylum to Chen.
This presumption may be rebutted where the I.N.S. shows by a preponderance of the evidence that the conditions in the petitioner's home country have significantly changed. I.N.S. v. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. 421, 431 (1987). There is no evidence in the record suggesting such changes have occurred in China.
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