Opinion ID: 2810934
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Qiu’s Forced Sterilization Claim

Text: The record indicates that the BIA reviewed the IJ’s fact-findings de novo, rather than for clear error. The BIA specifically stated that it was reviewing the IJ’s denial of withholding of removal de novo. The BIA then addressed whether Qiu was likely to face forcible sterilization, as opposed to fines or economic penalties, without stating that its review was for clear error. The BIA also found that Qiu had not established the second prong of the three-prong test—that she violated the relevant family planning policy—a fact the IJ explicitly did not find. Rather, the IJ assumed Qiu had satisfied the first two prongs of the test, and evaluated only what sanctions she was likely to face and whether they rose to the level of persecution. Making factual findings on de novo review, as opposed to reviewing the IJ’s factual findings through the lens of clear error, constitutes legal error requiring a remand. See Zhu, 703 F.3d at 1305, 1314. In addition, both the IJ and the BIA failed to address Qiu’s evidence that local family planning officials in China already had found Qiu to be in violation of 10 Case: 14-13838 Date Filed: 06/23/2015 Page: 11 of 13 the family planning policy and already ordered her to report for sterilization. In denying Qiu’s claims, the IJ and the BIA noted only that Qiu had submitted evidence that her mother and sister-in-law had been forcibly sterilized, but concluded that Qiu was not “similarly situated” to these women because Qiu’s children were born in the United States, not in China. The IJ and the BIA also noted that the background evidence in the record, including primarily the 2007 Asylum Profile, indicated that forced sterilization was prohibited by Chinese law, that unauthorized forced sterilizations were uncommon, and that Chinese citizens returning with children born outside of China were more likely to face economic sanctions than to be subjected to forced sterilization. Although we have said that the IJ and the BIA are entitled to rely heavily on information in State Department reports, the use of such reports “cannot substitute for an analysis of the unique facts of each applicant’s case.” See Wu v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 712 F.3d 486, 496-97 (11th Cir. 2013) (quotation marks omitted). Apart from distinguishing Qiu’s evidence about her mother’s and sister-in-law’s forced sterilizations, the IJ and the BIA did not address Qiu’s individualized evidence or the two purported notices discussed above. The failure of the IJ and the BIA to even mention this individualized evidence is especially concerning given that both the IJ and the BIA discounted as not similarly situated evidence that two of Qiu’s relatives were forcibly sterilized 11 Case: 14-13838 Date Filed: 06/23/2015 Page: 12 of 13 by local family planning officials in Fujian Province. If credited, Qiu’s documentary evidence arguably suggests that her local officials treat both Chineseborn and U.S.-born children of Chinese citizens the same for family planning purposes. See Li v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 488 F.3d 1371, 1372-73, 1376 (11th Cir. 2007) (rejecting the BIA’s distinction between foreign and Chinese-born children when there is no evidence in the record suggesting local officials will make such a distinction). Moreover, the only other State Department report cited by the BIA, the 2011 Country Report, noted that, although national law prohibits the use of physical coercion to compel a person to submit to forced abortion or sterilization, intense pressure to meet birth limitation targets led to instances of local family planning officials using physical coercion to meet government goals. Finally, Qiu submitted many background documents concerning China’s family planning policy, including congressional reports, news articles, and other governmental documents, indicating that Chinese authorities in certain provinces, including Fujian, continued to use forced sterilization and forced abortion in some instances. Many of these materials post-date the 2007 Asylum Profile heavily relied upon by the IJ and the BIA. Further, Qiu submitted notices and responses to inquiries regarding the family planning policy from local FPOs, some from towns in Fujian Province dated after 2007, indicating that children born abroad who permanently returned to China would be counted for purposes of the policy. The 12 Case: 14-13838 Date Filed: 06/23/2015 Page: 13 of 13 failure to address this evidence, or even note that much of it postdates the 2007 Asylum Profile, further undermines the conclusion that the IJ and the BIA considered all of the evidence in Qiu’s case. See Tan, 446 F.3d at 1375-76. Because the IJ and the BIA failed to address important evidence bearing on Qiu’s forced sterilization claims and thus did not issue a reasoned decision sufficient for our review, we must remand to the BIA. See Seck, 663 F.3d at 1369. Accordingly, we grant Qiu’s petition, vacate the BIA’s decision, and remand her withholding of removal claims to the BIA for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. On remand, the IJ, as the factfinder, must resolve the conflict in the evidence as to whether local FPO officials are likely to count Qiu’s U.S.-born children for family planning purposes and require Qiu to undergo sterilization if she returns to Fujian Province, giving reasoned consideration to Qiu’s evidence on this point. We note that in remanding, we express no opinion as to the merits of Qiu’s claims. See Indrawati, 779 F.3d at 1302 (explaining that this Court remands due to lack of reasoned consideration not because we have reviewed the BIA’s decision and disagreed with the legal conclusions and factual findings, but rather because we are unable to review those legal conclusions and factual findings). PETITION GRANTED; VACATED AND REMANDED. 13