Opinion ID: 796952
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Standards for the Relief Sought

Text: 28 Yang here challenges the IJ's denial of asylum, withholding of removal and relief under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). To secure the relief of asylum, Yang must show that he is a `refugee' within the meaning of the Immigration and Nationality Act, i.e., that he has suffered past persecution on account of `race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion,' or that he has a well-founded fear of future persecution on these grounds. Qiu v. Ashcroft, 329 F.3d 140, 148 (2d Cir.2003) (quoting 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42)). 29 Refugee status is conferred by statute upon persons who have been forced to abort a pregnancy or to undergo involuntary sterilization: 30 [A] person who has been forced to abort a pregnancy or to undergo involuntary sterilization, or has been persecuted for failure or refusal to undergo such a procedure or for other resistance to a coercive population control program, shall be deemed to have been persecuted on account of political opinion, and a person who has a well founded fear that he or she will be forced to undergo such a procedure or subject to persecution for such failure, refusal, or resistance shall be deemed to have a well founded fear of persecution on account of political opinion. 31 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42). 32 Although the statute does not specifically so provide, the BIA long has extended its benefits to spouses of those subjected to the coercive family planning policies described, while disallowing its benefits to boyfriends and fiancees. See In re S-L-L-, 24 I. & N. Dec. 1 (B.I.A.2006), decided following remand for clarification in Shi Liang Lin v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 416 F.3d 184 (2d Cir.2005), reh'g in banc granted (Nov. 13, 2006). Despite the fact that Yang purports to be the unmarried male partner of a forced abortion victim, the issue of Yang's status was not addressed by the IJ or the BIA, and the government does not address it in the brief furnished to us. We note, however, that the statute itself extends the benefit of asylum to anyone who has undertaken other resistance to a coercive population control program. 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42). In any event, the question of Yang's right to seek relief as an unmarried male partner or as one who resisted the program is not before us. 33 While a well-founded fear of future persecution is established as a rebuttable presumption upon a showing of past persecution, the presumption may be overcome by a showing that conditions in a petitioner's country of nationality have changed sufficiently to nullify the basis for the presumption. Qiu, 329 F.3d at 148. In the absence of past persecution, both an objective and a subjective showing are required to establish a well-founded fear of future persecution. Ramsameachire v. Ashcroft, 357 F.3d 169, 178 (2d Cir.2004). The petitioner's credible testimony as to his fear can satisfy the subjective element. Id. The objective element requires establishment of the context and believability of the petitioner's claim through presentation of reliable, specific, objective supporting evidence. Id. (internal quotation marks omitted). A fear is objectively reasonable even if there is only a slight, though discernible, chance of persecution. Diallo v. INS, 232 F.3d 279, 284 (2d Cir. 2000) (citing INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. 421, 431, 107 S.Ct. 1207, 94 L.Ed.2d 434 (1987)). 34 To establish withholding of removal, Yang must establish that it is more likely than not that his life or freedom would be threatened in [China] on account of [his] race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or [in his particular case] political opinion. 8 C.F.R. § 208.16(b)(1); Ramsameachire, 357 F.3d at 178. Once the showing is made, withholding of removal is mandatory, whereas asylum may be refused to an eligible petitioner in the discretion of the Attorney General. See 8 C.F.R. § 208.13(b); Zhang v. INS, 386 F.3d 66, 70-71 (2d Cir.2004). Because the burden attendant upon the showing necessary to establish withholding of removal is heavier than that required to establish asylum, a petitioner who cannot sustain the burden of the latter cannot ipso facto sustain the burden of the former. We have observed that [f]orced sterilization or abortion threatens [a petitioner's] life or freedom and is a basis for withholding removal assuming that the government cannot establish changed country conditions. Cao He Lin v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 428 F.3d 391, 399 (2d Cir.2005). 35 To prevail on his claim for withholding of removal under the Convention Against Torture, Yang must show that it is more likely than not that he would be tortured if removed to China. 8 C.F.R. § 208.16(c)(2). Torture is defined as an extreme form of cruel and inhuman treatment. 8 C.F.R. § 208.18(a)(2); see Wang v. Ashcroft, 320 F.3d 130, 134 (2d Cir. 2003). Withholding and deferral of removal under the CAT are mandatory forms of relief that hinge on risk within the country to which the Government is seeking expulsion. See 8 C.F.R. §§ 208.16(c), 208.17. Instead of focusing on persecution and nexus to protected grounds, CAT relief requires the applicant to show that he or she would more likely than not be tortured, and it does not require a nexus to any ground. See Khouzam v. Ashcroft, 361 F.3d 161, 168 (2d Cir.2004). The difference between the two forms of CAT relief is in the protections afforded and the classes of aliens barred from relief. Withholding provides somewhat greater protection from expulsion, but certain aliens are barred from relief, see 8 C.F.R. § 208.16(c); deferral, on the other hand, is available to anyone who meets the standard, see 8 C.F.R. § 208.17. Yang apparently seeks protection under the CAT as a result of his treatment at the hands of village officials and during the service of his one-year sentence in the Chinese prison.