Opinion ID: 788316
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Asylum Decision

Text: 30 Pilica's appeal was filed with the Board on April 20, 2001. Effective September 25, 2002, a regulatory reform expanded the Board's system of streamlining the appeals process and changed the standard of review applied by the Board to findings of fact. Procedural Reforms to Improve Case Management, 67 Fed.Reg. 54,878, 54,878-881 (Aug. 26, 2002). Prior to 1999, all appeals were heard by a three-member panel of the Board. Id. at 54,879. In 1999, the Attorney General instituted a streamlining process that allowed a single Board member summarily to affirm an IJ's decision without opinion. 6 Id. The 2002 regulations expand[ed] the single-member process to be the dominant method of adjudication for the large majority of cases before the Board. Id. 31 Prior to the 2002 regulations, the Board conducted a de novo review of the cases appealed to it. Id. at 54,888. Pursuant to the new regulations, however, the Board is instructed to review an IJ's findings of fact to determine whether the findings are clearly erroneous; all other questions continue to be reviewed de novo. Id. at 54,880-881; 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(d)(3) (2004). 7 The 2002 regulations were to apply to all cases and motions pending on September 25, 2002, with the exception that the new clearly erroneous standard of review would not be used in appeals filed before that date. 8 C.F.R. § 1003.3(f) (2004). The review of Petitioner's case thus should have been conducted de novo, without reference to the clearly erroneous standard. 32 Petitioner contends that the BIA erred by applying the new standard of review to his appeal and argues that his case should be remanded to the BIA for de novo review, conducted by a three judge panel in accordance with the scope of review standard that existed prior to September 25, 2002. Respondent maintains that, absent any evidence that the Board ignored the regulatory provision requiring it to apply the old standard of review, this Court, based on the presumption of administrative regularity, must accept that the Board applied the correct standard. 33 A single member of the Board, pursuant to 8 C.F.R. § 3.1(e)(4) (currently § 1003.1(e)(4)), on October 30, 2002, affirmed without opinion the decision of the IJ in this case. The Board's decision tracks the prescribed language for an affirmance without opinion and, also in accordance with the regulation, does not provide further explanation or reasoning. 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(e)(4)(ii) (2004). 8 Absent evidence to the contrary, this Court presumes that the BIA applied the correct standard of review. See Citizens to Preserve Overton Park, Inc. v. Volpe, 401 U.S. 402, 415, 91 S.Ct. 814, 28 L.Ed.2d 136 (1971) (administrative decision entitled to presumption of regularity), overruled on other grounds, Califano v. Sanders, 430 U.S. 99, 97 S.Ct. 980, 51 L.Ed.2d 192 (1977); Yuk v. Ashcroft, 355 F.3d 1222, 1232 (10th Cir.2004) (In view of the presumption of regularity attaching to administrative procedures, we will not assume, without any evidence, that BIA members do not follow the regulations or do not perform their jobs properly.) (citation omitted); Abdulai v. Ashcroft, 239 F.3d 542, 550 (3d Cir.2001) (because of presumption of regularity, petitioner bears burden of proving that BIA did not review record when it considered appeal); Makonnen v. INS, 44 F.3d 1378, 1384 (8th Cir.1995) (BIA entitled to presumption of regularity); Kaczmarczyk v. INS, 933 F.2d 588, 595 (7th Cir.1991) (BIA is entitled to a presumption of regularity, and petitioner has burden to prove BIA gave short shrift to evidence presented); see also Albathani v. INS, 318 F.3d 365, 379 (1st Cir.2003) (BIA summary affirmance does not establish that the required review is not taking place). Because Pilica has presented no evidence that the Board failed to apply the correct standard, the Court declines to reverse the Board's decision on this basis.

34 The Attorney General has discretion under the Act to grant asylum to a refugee. INA § 208(b), 8 U.S.C. § 1158(b). A refugee is defined as a person who is unable or unwilling to return to his home country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42)(A). Disposition of an application for asylum requires a two-step inquiry: first, whether the petitioner is a `refugee' within the meaning of the statute, and second, whether the petitioner merits a favorable exercise of discretion by the Attorney General. Perkovic v. INS, 33 F.3d 615, 620 (6th Cir.1994) (citing INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. 421, 428 n. 5, 107 S.Ct. 1207, 94 L.Ed.2d 434 (1987)). The alien has the burden of proof at both stages. Klawitter v. INS, 970 F.2d 149, 151 (6th Cir.1992). 35 In order to demonstrate that he qualifies as a refugee, an alien must establish either that he has suffered actual past persecution or that he has a well-founded fear of future persecution. Mikhailevitch v. INS, 146 F.3d 384, 389 (6th Cir.1998); 8 C.F.R. § 208.13(b) (2004). This Court has held that persecution within the meaning of § 1101(a)(42)(A) requires more than a few isolated incidents of verbal harassment or intimidation, unaccompanied by any physical punishment, infliction of harm, or significant deprivation of liberty. Mikhailevitch, 146 F.3d at 390; see also In re Kasinga, 21 I. & N. Dec. 357, 365 (BIA 1996) (defining persecution as the infliction of harm or suffering by the government, or persons a government is unwilling or unable to control, to overcome a characteristic of the victim). An applicant who establishes past persecution is presumed to have a well-founded fear of future persecution. Mikhailevitch, 146 F.3d at 389; 8 C.F.R. § 208.13(b)(1). That presumption may be rebutted, however, if the government establishes, by a preponderance of the evidence, that there has been a fundamental change in country conditions such that the applicant no longer has a well-founded fear of persecution. Mikhailevitch at 389; 8 C.F.R. § 208.13(b)(1)(i). 36 An alien may establish a well-founded fear of future persecution by demonstrating: (1) that he has a fear of persecution in his home country on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion; (2) that there is a reasonable possibility of suffering such persecution if he were to return to that country; and (3) that he is unable or unwilling to return to that country because of such fear. Mikhailevitch at 389; 8 C.F.R. § 208.13(b)(2)(i). A well-founded fear of persecution thus has both a subjective and an objective component: an alien must actually fear that he will be persecuted upon return to his country, and he must present evidence establishing an objective situation under which his fear can be deemed reasonable. Perkovic, 33 F.3d at 620-21. A well-founded fear of persecution does not require the applicant to show that he probably will be persecuted if he is deported; `[o]ne can certainly have a well-founded fear of an event happening when there is less than a 50% chance of the occurrence taking place.' Id. at 621 (quoting Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. at 431, 107 S.Ct. 1207). 37 In addition to requesting asylum, Petitioner also has requested withholding of removal pursuant to INA § 241(b)(3). Withholding of removal is mandatory if an alien establishes that his life or freedom would be threatened in the proposed country of removal on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. 8 C.F.R. § 208.16(b) (2004); Klawitter, 970 F.2d at 151. An applicant seeking withholding of removal faces a more stringent burden than what is required on a claim for asylum. Mikhailevitch, 146 F.3d at 391 (citing Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. at 431-32, 107 S.Ct. 1207). In order to be entitled to relief, an alien must establish that there is a clear probability that he will be subject to persecution if forced to return to the country of removal. INS v. Stevic, 467 U.S. 407, 413, 104 S.Ct. 2489, 81 L.Ed.2d 321 (1984); Mikhailevitch, 146 F.3d at 391. 38 As his third claim for relief, Petitioner seeks withholding of removal under the Convention Against Torture. In order to obtain such relief, an alien has the burden of proving 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. § 208.16(c)(2) (2004). 39 IIRIRA provides the following guidelines for this Court to use in reviewing the Board's decisions: 40 (A) [T]he court of appeals shall decide the petition only on the administrative record on which the order of removal is based, 41 (B) the administrative findings of fact are conclusive unless any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude to the contrary, 42 (C) a decision that an alien is not eligible for admission to the United States is conclusive unless manifestly contrary to law, and 43 (D) the Attorney General's discretionary judgment whether to grant relief under section 208(a) [governing applications for asylum] shall be conclusive unless manifestly contrary to the law and an abuse of discretion. 44 IIRIRA, Pub.L. No. 104-208, § 306(a)(2)(b)(4) (1996) (codified at 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(4)); see Ali v. Reno, 237 F.3d 591, 593-98 (6th Cir.2001) (applying standards of review set forth in IIRIRA). 9
45 The IJ found that respondent is [an] inherently incredible witness and respondent's story was not to be believed by the Court. The IJ then went on to detail various inconsistencies between Pilica's testimony and his brother's testimony, internal inconsistencies in Pilica's testimony, and inconsistencies between Pilica's testimony and his applications for asylum. The IJ also based his credibility determination on Pilica's failure to corroborate his testimony by calling his father and his mother as witnesses, even though both lived in the area and both had personal knowledge of Pilica's circumstances. The IJ appears to have misremembered certain elements of the testimony, and he drew all possible inferences against Pilica. The IJ's adverse credibility findings, however, are conclusive unless any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude to the contrary. 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(4)(B). Based on the administrative record, a reasonable adjudicator would not be compelled to find Pilica credible. 46 The IJ found Pilica's brother's testimony to have destroyed Pilica's credibility due to the following inconsistencies: (1) Pilica testified that the family name had been Serbianized, whereas his brother testified that no such change had occurred; (2) Pilica's brother testified that when Pilica was beaten by the police he was injured in the legs, while neither Pilica nor the hospital record indicated that there had been any injury to Pilica's legs; (3) Pilica testified that he was beaten up by the Cetnici, which he defined as civilians who wanted to exclude Albanians, whereas Pilica's brother testified that Cetnici was a name for the secret police; (4) Pilica stated that his father was not present to testify because his father had arthritis and was not working and Pilica did not want to ask him to come, whereas Pilica's brother testified that their father was at work and could have come to the hearing; and (5) Pilica's brother testified that Pilica told him that something bad had happened to him in each of the years from 1987 to 1991, whereas Pilica testified that things had simply happened throughout the course of this year group, and that there was not necessarily a specific occurrence in each year. 47 The transcript before this Court does not contain any testimony that the Pilica name had been Serbianized. 10 The transcript also does not contain any statement by Pilica's brother that Pilica was injured in the legs. 11 Pilica and his brother do appear to have defined Cetnici differently, though the inconsistency is not significant. The IJ seems to have accurately recalled the testimony regarding the whereabouts of Pilica's father. 12 The IJ's finding regarding the differing testimony about occurrences in different years likewise seems supported by the record, though the testimony on this subject generally was ambiguous. 48 As internal inconsistencies in Pilica's testimony, the IJ pointed to the following: (1) Pilica's testimony that during the period between December 1990, when he left the army, and April 1991, when he left the country, he was both in hiding, seeing no one other than his relatives and other Albanians, and working either temporarily or part-time; (2) Pilica's confusion and ambiguous testimony about when he was beaten, how many times he was beaten, and by whom he was beaten; (3) Pilica's failure to provide any logical reason for his reluctance to report for military service since he had not served in combat during his initial year-long service in the army and since he provided no particular reason why he thought he would be forced to kill innocent people if he responded to the summonses; and (4) the fact that Pilica, supposedly an ethnic Albanian, testified in Serbo-Croatian rather than Albanian. 49 Petitioner provides reasons that are at least somewhat plausible for each of these inconsistencies. For example, Petitioner argues that [i]t is possible to work temporarily (2 months) part-time (20 hours per week) in a place where he would see only his relatives or other Albanians (he testified he was living on a relative's tobacco farm in an ethnically Albanian area) while hiding out for most of the time (6 months). At least some of these inconsistencies or ambiguities could support a negative credibility finding, however. In particular, Pilica's failure to provide a clear account of the alleged beatings weighs against him. 50 As far as inconsistencies between his asylum application and his testimony at the hearing, Pilica states, both in the March 11, 1992, request for asylum prepared by his brother and the February 4, 1999, application for asylum prepared by his attorney, that he has been tortured, interrogated and jailed because of his political opinion and his nationality. In his original application, Pilica states, I was mistreated and tortured by the Yugoslav-Montenegrian `UDBA' (secret police) beacouse [sic] of my statement above .... This happened several times during the year of 1987, 88, 89, 90, 91. I was beating [sic] up by group called `Cetnici' last year beacouse [sic] I was Albanian. 13 Pilica also states, in both applications, that he was arrested several times between 1987 and 1991. At the very least, these statements are revealed as exaggerations when compared to Pilica's testimony at the hearing. At most, they cast, as found by the IJ, grave doubt upon Pilica's overall credibility since, even at its most favorable, Pilica's live testimony did not measure up to the claims made in his asylum requests. 14 Cf. Octaviano De Leon-Barrios v. INS, 116 F.3d 391, 393-94 (9th Cir.1997) (finding that discrepancies between two asylum applications involved the heart of the asylum claim and therefore supported a negative credibility finding) (quoting Ceballos-Castillo v. INS, 904 F.2d 519, 520 (9th Cir.1990)). 51 The IJ also did not err in using Pilica's failure to provide corroborating evidence as further support for the negative credibility finding. The IJ noted that (1) Pilica called neither his father nor his mother as corroborating witnesses, even though they both lived in the area and both appeared to have firsthand knowledge of relevant events, as opposed to Pilica's brother, whose only knowledge was based on conversations with Pilica and his parents; (2) Pilica did not provide any proof that he had been a member of the Albanian Democratic Party, even though his testimony suggested that he could have provided such proof; and (3) Pilica did not offer to speak Albanian or otherwise provide any proof that he was, in fact ethnically Albanian. The IJ further noted that no reasonable explanation for these failures was provided. 15 52 An applicant for asylum is not required to produce corroborating evidence of persecution: the alien's own testimony can be sufficient to support an application for asylum, `where the testimony is believable, consistent, and sufficiently detailed to provide a plausible and coherent account of the basis for his fear.' Perkovic v. INS, 33 F.3d 615, 621 (6th Cir.1994) (quoting In re Mogharrabi, 19 I. & N. Dec. 439, 445 (BIA 1987)); see also 8 C.F.R. § 208.13(a) (2004) (The testimony of the applicant, if credible, may be sufficient to sustain the burden of proof without corroboration.). Because Pilica's testimony plausibly could be viewed as incredible, and certainly could be viewed as inconsistent or incoherent, a fact finder reasonably could find that Pilica's testimony, absent corroboration, was insufficient to meet his burden of proof. The Board's decision therefore is AFFIRMED.
53 The IJ's decision may be affirmed on the alternative basis that Petitioner, even assuming the credibility of his testimony, did not establish his statutory eligibility for relief. Petitioner did not meet his burden of proving either that he suffered actual past persecution or that he has a well-founded fear of future persecution. Petitioner bases his claim for asylum on three occurrences. Following each of two demonstrations, he was arrested and detained for a week. While Pilica stated that he was mistreated while in jail, the only example of mistreatment he provided was being sworn at. At a third demonstration, Pilica was beaten by policemen, resulting in head injuries and a week-long hospitalization. Pilica has not demonstrated that these isolated occurrences amounted to persecution. See Mikhailevitch v. INS, 146 F.3d 384, 390 (6th Cir.1998) (stating that persecution requires more than a few isolated incidents of verbal harassment or intimidation, unaccompanied by any physical punishment, infliction of harm, or significant deprivation of liberty). 54 Further, Petitioner has not established a well-founded fear of future persecution. The IJ correctly pointed out that Petitioner's political involvement, consisting merely of attending five demonstrations at which he held up signs, yelled, and applauded, was sparse. Petitioner has not established that, based on this involvement, there is a reasonable possibility that he would be targeted for persecution upon his return. Mikhailevitch v. INS, 146 F.3d 384, 389 (6th Cir.1998) (stating that well-founded fear of persecution must be both subjectively and objectively reasonable). There is no indication that he is on some governmental blacklist; indeed, all of the occurrences that arguably constitute past persecution resulted directly from Pilica's attendance at a demonstration rather than from the government having sought him out. See Perkovic, 33 F.3d at 621 (stating that the persecutor must be aware the alien possesses the relevant belief or characteristic, must have the capability of punishing the alien, and must have the inclination to punish the alien). The IJ also found that country conditions in Montenegro have improved substantially since Petitioner left. While there is still societal discrimination against ethnic Albanians, the situation in Montenegro is better than in other parts of Yugoslavia, and progress has been made in recent years in increasing Albanians' political representation. 55 Since Petitioner has not established entitlement to asylum, he clearly has not made the stronger showing necessary for withholding of removal pursuant to INA § 241(b)(3). See 8 C.F.R. § 208.16(b) (2004) (stating, for withholding of removal, alien must establish that his life or freedom would be threatened in the proposed country of removal on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion). He also has not demonstrated his eligibility for Convention Against Torture relief. Accordingly, the Board's decision on the substantive relief sought by Petitioner is AFFIRMED.