Opinion ID: 173774
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: First BIA Decision

Text: On appeal, the BIA held that it would assume that Fernandes was credible because the IJ had not made an explicit adverse credibility finding and had not identified any bases sufficient to support such a finding. Based on that assumption, the BIA found that Fernandes had satisfied his burden of proving past persecution, which gave rise to a rebuttable presumption that Fernandes would face future persecution. Accordingly, the BIA remanded the case to the IJ to provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) an opportunity to provide additional evidence to rebut the presumption that Fernandes has a well-founded fear of future persecution. The remand order stated: [T]he record will be remanded to allow the DHS an opportunity to establish that since the time the persecution occurred conditions in the respondent's country have changed to such an extent that the respondent no longer has a well-founded fear of being persecuted if he were to return to his country. Accordingly, the following order is entered. ORDER: The appeal is sustained and the record is remanded for further proceedings consistent with the foregoing opinion.