Opinion ID: 170345
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Restriction on Removal and Relief Under the CAT

Text: As we stated in Wiransane: An alien who fears persecution if returned to a particular country has two possible means of relief under the INA: asylum and restriction on removal. A grant of asylum permits the alien to remain in this country; a restriction on removal forbids removal of the alien to the country where persecution may occur. 366 F.3d at 892-93 (footnote and citation omitted). Although a grant of asylum is in the discretion of the Attorney General, restriction on removal is granted to qualified aliens as a matter of right. See id. at 893, An additional avenue for relief is protection under the CAT, which prohibits removal to a country where an alien would probably face torture, See Elzour v. Ashcroft, 378 F.3d 1143, 1150 (10th Cir.2004). Relief under the CAT is mandatory if the convention's criteria are satisfied. See 8 C.F.R. § 1208.16(c)(4) (an alien meeting the CAT's criteria shall be granted withholding of removal or, at a minimum, deferral of removal). Because Mr. Ismaiel does not challenge denial of asylum, we limit our review to the denial of restriction on removal and relief under the CAT. To obtain a restriction on removal, an applicant must show that his life or freedom would be threatened in [the proposed country of removal] because of [his] race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular, social group, or political opinion. 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(3)(A); see 8 C.F.R. § 1208.16(b). If an applicant has suffered past persecution for any of the stated reasons, it shall be presumed that the applicant's life or freedom would be threatened in the future in the country of removal on the basis of the original claim. 8 C.F.R. § 1208.16(b)(1)(I); see Niang, 422 F.3d at 1195-96. Protection under the CAT does not depend on a showing that mistreatment would be based on any particular characteristic such as race or political opinion. See Cruz-Funez v. Gonzales, 406 F.3d 1187, 1192 (10th Cir.2005). Rather, an alien seeking such relief must show that it is more likely than not that he or she would be tortured if removed to the proposed country of removal. 8 C.F.R. § 1208.16(c)(2). [4]