Opinion ID: 1462708
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Order Denying Asylum, Withholding of Removal, and CAT Relief

Text: In support of his application, Zinc testified that he was seized by Algerian security officers in February 1992 because he sympathized with a major Islamic opposition party. Imprisoned for two years at a military detention center in the desert, Zine was exposed to harsh living conditions, beaten with rifle butts, and tortured with electric wires. After release in 1994, he was twice arrested by Algerian special forces after police officers were killed in his neighborhood; each time, he was denied food and tortured. In March 1996, Zine was conscripted into the Algerian military where he trained for twenty-five days before escaping because he feared having to kill innocent people if he stayed in the military. He made his way to Turkey by way of Tunisia, using a visitor visa and Algerian passport and intending to get to Europe and apply for asylum. Instead, he remained in Turkey for three years before a relative in Canada provided money to fly to Thailand. While in Turkey, Zine's family in Algeria received a letter from an Islamic terrorist organization threatening to kill Zine because he had briefly served in the military, and military police detained two of his brothers and told the family they were trying to capture Zine for deserting. After arriving in Thailand, Zine purchased a fraudulent French passport bearing his photo but the name Hafed Benchellali. He testified that he destroyed his Algerian passport and flew by way of China to San Francisco, arriving on August 3, 1999, and entering under the VWP. This Program allows the Attorney General to waive the visa requirement and permit citizens of a select list of nations, including France but not Algeria, to visit the United States for up to ninety days. See 8 U.S.C. § 1187(a). After arriving, Zine destroyed the French passport and his 1-94 entry card but kept a photocopy of the portion of the 1-94 card that is retained by the entering alien. He settled in Minneapolis, overstayed the allowed VWP period, and applied for asylum. The INS issued a removal notice and placed him in an asylum only proceeding. See 8 U.S.C. § 1187(b); 8 C.F.R. § 1208.2. The asylum-only hearings were repeatedly continued to allow the parties to gather additional evidence. Zine presented facsimile copies of documents from Algeria, including letters from friends and family generally supporting his testimony, a document allegedly provided upon his release from the detention center, a threat letter from a Covenant of God organization, and a 1996 military summons. He testified that his family mailed the originals of these documents, but they never arrived. An expert on Algeria testified that Zine's testimony was generally consistent with reports of the armed conflicts between the Algerian military and Islamic rebel groups between 1992 and 1998. Zine testified that, if he is removed to Algeria, he fears prison, torture, or death at the hands of the government based upon his perceived association with anti-government political organizations, or that he will be killed by terrorists because of his brief time in the Algerian military. The IJ found Zine's testimony not credible. The IJ denied asylum, withholding of removal, and CAT relief due to the negative credibility finding and the lack of objective, credible supporting documentation. The IJ also denied asylum on an additional groundbecause Zine destroyed his fraudulent passport and entry card and presented no other evidence documenting his place and time of arrival, he failed to prove by clear and convincing evidence that he applied for asylum within one year after arriving in the United States. See 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(2)(B). Zine timely appealed to the BIA. The notice of appeal asserted that the denial of asylum was incorrect as a matter of law because the IJ's adverse credibility finding lacked factual support in the record and the IJ gave inadequate weight to Zine's supporting evidence. His lengthy brief to the BIA argued that he is entitled to asylum because he presented credible, sufficient testimony and documentary evidence establishing past persecution and a well-founded fear of future persecution by the Algerian government on account of his political opinion and associations. On the untimeliness issue, Zine argued that it was error to place him in an asylum-only proceeding based upon an August 1999 VWP entry document and then find that his consistent testimony corroborating the 94 photocopy failed to prove entry within one year of his July 2000 application. The BIA in a two-paragraph Order adopted and affirmed the decision of the IJ that there are not exceptional circumstances sufficient to overcome [Zine's] failure to timely file his application for asylum, and that without credible testimony [Zine] is not eligible for withholding of removal or relief under the [CAT]. The BIA added that, [w]ith respect to the adverse credibility finding, we are not persuaded that it is clearly erroneous. See 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(d)(3)(i) (BIA standard of review). On appeal, Zine argues that the BIA erred in concluding that the IJ's adverse credibility finding was not clearly erroneous. Therefore, he argues, we should vacate the order denying asylum and withholding of removal and remand for further agency proceedings. [2] The government argues that we lack jurisdiction to consider either the asylum claim or the withholding of removal claim for two distinct reasons. The argument pertaining to asylum is clearly correct. The argument pertaining to withholding of removal is more complex. A. Asylum. The statute governing asylum provides that [n]o court shall have jurisdiction to review any determination denying an asylum application as untimely. 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(3). We have consistently held that this provision bars judicial review of the agency's resolution of the relevant issues of fact. See Bejet-Viali Al-Jojo v. Gonzales, 424 F.3d 823, 827 (8th Cir.2005) (extraordinary circumstances issue); Aden v. Ashcroft, 396 F.3d 966, 968 (8th Cir.2005) (timeliness issue). As Zine raises no colorable constitutional challenge or question of law that might avoid this jurisdictional bar, see Mouawad v. Gonzales, 485 F.3d 405, 411 (8th Cir.2007), we lack jurisdiction to review the denial of asylum. B. Withholding of Removal. The statute governing judicial review of removal orders provides that we may review a final order of removal only if the alien has exhausted all administrative remedies available to the alien as of right. 8 U.S.C. § 1252(d)(1). The Attorney General's regulations governing administrative appeals to the BIA provide that the alien must specifically identify the findings of fact, the conclusions of law, or both, that are being challenged. 8 C.F.R. § 1003.3(b). Here, Zine's notice of appeal and brief to the BIA specifically challenged the denial of asylum but not the denial of withholding of removal. Accordingly, the government argues, we lack jurisdiction to consider the denial of withholding of removal because Zine failed to exhaust his administrative remedies for this claim. Zine responds that this exhaustion issue is not jurisdictional. He urges us to consider the merits of the issue because asylum and withholding of removal are specifically linked in the regulations [3] and because the BIA specifically addressed withholding of removal in affirming the IJ's decision. Resolving the parties' conflicting contentions would embroil us in unsettled questions of immigration law. Our prior decisions are inconsistent on the question whether the failure to raise an issue before the BIA is a jurisdictionally-fatal failure to exhaust an administrative remedy for purposes of 8 U.S.C. § 1252(d)(1), or simply raises the non jurisdictional question whether review of that issue is precluded by the doctrine of administrative exhaustion. Compare Sultani v. Gonzales, 455 F.3d 878, 884 (8th Cir.2006), with Frango v. Gonzales, 437 F.3d 726, 728-29 (8th Cir.2006), and Etchu-Njang v. Gonzales, 403 F.3d 577, 581-84 (8th Cir.2005). To further complicate matters, there is disagreement among our sister circuits on the related question whether a claim or issue not presented to the BIA, but considered by the BIA sua sponte, is jurisdictionally barred for failure to exhaust administrative remedies. Compare Amaya-Artunduaga v. U.S. Attorney General, 463 F.3d 1247, 1250-51 (11th Cir.2006), with Sidabutar v. Gonzales, 503 F.3d 1116, 1118-22 (10th Cir.2007). We conclude that we need not enter this thicket because the issue presented in this case can be resolved more narrowly. To be eligible for asylum, an alien must prove that he is a refugee, a person unable or unwilling to return to his own 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. §§ 1158(b)(1), 1101(a)(42)(A). Withholding of removal is a narrower remedy; it bars removal only to a particular country. The statute that defines eligibility for withholding of removal uses language from the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, rather than the word persecution., See 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(3)(A). But it is well-settled that eligibility under this statute requires proof that it is more likely than not that the alien would be subject to persecution on one of the specified grounds if removed to the country in question. INS v. Stevie, 467 U.S. 407, 429-30, 104 S.Ct. 2489, 81 L.Ed.2d 321 (1984). This burden of proof is more demanding than that for asylum. Alemu v. Gonzales, 403 F.3d 572, 576 (8th Cir. 2005). Therefore, [a]n alien who fails to prove eligibility for asylum cannot meet the standard for establishing withholding of removal. Turay v. Ashcroft, 405 F.3d 663, 667 (8th Cir.2005). In this case, the IJ denied both asylum and withholding of removal on the merits, based upon an adverse credibility finding and the lack of supporting documentation. Zine appealed that decision, arguing that he was eligible for asylum because he demonstrated past persecution and a well-founded fear of, future persecution in Algeria on account of a protected ground. If that asylum argument failed, Zine had no hope of satisfying the more demanding standard for withholding of removal to Algeria. In addition, the IJ denied asylum on the alternative ground that Zine's application was untimely. He also appealed that ruling to the BIA. But he was ill-advised in not specifically appealing the denial of withholding of removal, because if the BIA affirmed the ruling that the asylum application was barred as untimely, it need only reach the merits of the persecution issue if reviewing the denial of withholding of removal. The BIA obviously recognized this oversight and, given the great emphasis on the merits of the persecution issue in Zine's appeal brief, addressed that issue by specifically affirming the denial of withholding of removal. We accept the agency's determination that the persecution issue was adequately exhausted as to both claims and therefore reach the merits of the withholding of removal denial. However, we caution practitioners that, if the BIA declines to grant relief from this oversight in a future case, judicial review of the withholding of removal claim may well be precluded for failure to exhaust. Turning to the merits, we review the BIA's decision to deny withholding of removal under the deferential substantial evidence standard. See Menendez-Donis v. Ashcroft, 360 F.3d 915, 918-19 (8th Cir. 2004). [4] The agency's adverse credibility finding, like other factual determinations, is conclusive unless any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude to the contrary. 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(4)(B); see Abdelwase v. Gonzales, 496 F.3d 904, 908 (8th Cir.2007). Credibility findings in particular are entitled to much weight because the IJ sees the witness testify and is therefore in the best position to determine his or her credibility. Fofanah, 447 F.3d at 1040. Accordingly, we defer to that finding if it is supported by a specific, cogent reason for disbelief. Aden, 396 F.3d at 968 (quotation omitted). The IJ supported the adverse credibility finding by explaining that Zine's account of detention and torture at the desert detention center was inconsistent with testimony about the timing of visits by his family and was uncorroborated except for facsimile copies of a release document and unspecific letters from friends and family addressed to Zine's attorney. Moreover, no evidence corroborated his testimony of subsequent arrests, or his purported fear that the government was looking for him for deserting the military, a claim that seemed inconsistent with his ability to leave the country without challenge. Moreover, the IJ found, Zine's testimony about his life after leaving Algeria was not credible. He presented no documentation regarding his three years in Turkey, and no support for his explanation why he did not apply for asylum in that country. Destroying his Algerian passport in Thailand and his fraudulent French passport in the United States while keeping a photocopy of his 1-94 entry card struck the IJ as particularly incredible and raised the specter of many aliens fraudulently claiming entry as Hafed Benchellali. Zine argues that each of these reasons, standing alone, is inadequate support for the adverse credibility finding. But the issue is whether their cumulative weight is sufficient to provide a specific, cogent reason for disbelief. After careful review of the record, and bearing in mind the IJ's superior ability to gauge a witness's demeanor while testifying, we conclude that Zine's testimony and limited supporting evidence were not so overwhelming as to compel any reasonable adjudicator to find that testimony credible. Therefore, the adverse credibility finding must be upheld. See Falaja v. Gonzales, 418 F.3d 889, 896-97 (8th Cir.2005). When asylum, withholding of removal, and CAT claims are based on the same discredited testimony, the adverse credibility finding is fatal to all three claims. Fofanah, 447 F.3d at 1040. Accordingly, we deny the petition for review of the BIA's July 13, 2006, Order.