Opinion ID: 769297
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Requirements for Asylum Eligibility

Text: 15 In order to establish eligibility for asylum on the basis of past persecution, an applicant must show: (1) an incident, or incidents, that rise to the level of persecution; 9 (2) that is on account of one of the statutorily-protected grounds; and (3) is committed by the government or forces the government is either unable orunwilling to control. 10 Only the first and second factors -namely, whether the incidents that occurred constitute persecution and whether the persecution was on account of a protected ground -are at issue in this petition for review. In other words, to be eligible for relief, Navas must show not only that he was persecuted, but also that the persecution he suffered was on account of a protected category --namely, race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group, or political opinion 11 . 16 The Supreme Court held in Elias-Zacarias that an asylum applicant must satisfy two requirements in order to show that he was persecuted on account of a political opinion. First, the applicant must show that he held (or that his persecutors believed that he held) a political opinion. See Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. at 482-83. 12 Second, the applicant must show that his persecutors persecuted him (or that he faces the prospect of such persecution) because of his political opinion. See id. at 483-84. As this court has made clear, the statute covers persecution on account of political opinion even where the persecutor acts out of mixed motives. Put another way, the protected ground need only constitute a motive for the persecution in question; it need not be the sole motive. Borja v. INS, 175 F.3d 732, 735 (9th Cir. 1999) (en banc); Singh, 63 F.3d at 1509. 17 A finding that persecution was on account of a protected category must be based on facts in evidence. See Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. at 483; Sangha, 103 F.3d at 1486. The applicant need not provide direct evidence that hisor her persecutors were motivated by political opinion, Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. at 483, but need only introduce some evidence of [the persecutors' motive], direct or circumstantial. Id. (Emphasis added). In some cases, the factual circumstances alone may provide sufficient reason to conclude that acts of persecution were committed on account of political opinion, or one of the other protected grounds. See Sangha, 103 F.3d at 1490. Indeed, this court has held persecution to be on account of political opinion where there appears to be no other logical reason for the persecution at issue. See Sangha, 103 F.3d at 1490; Nasseri v. Moschorak, 34 F.3d 723, 730 (9th Cir. 1994), overruled on other grounds by Fisher v. INS, 79 F.3d 955 (9th Cir. 1996) (en banc). 18 If an asylum applicant establishes that he has been subjected to persecution in the past, a presumption arises that a well-founded fear of future persecution exists. 8 C.F.R. S 208.13(b)(1)(i). The burden then shifts to the INS to show by a preponderance of the evidence that country conditions have changed to such an extent (as applied to the individual's case) that the applicant no longer has a well-founded fear that he would be persecuted if he were to return. 13 Id. If the INS fails to make this showing, the applicant is statutorily eligible for asylum. Maini v. INS, 212 F.3d 1167 (9th Cir. 2000). 19 A similar approach applies with respect to withholding of deportation. A showing of past persecution gives rise to a presumption that the applicant has shown a clear probability of future persecution so as to entitle him to withholding of deportation. See 8 C.F.R. S 208.16(b)(2); Vallecillo-Castillo v. INS, 121 F.3d 1237, 1240 (9th Cir. 1996). In order to rebut the presumption, the INS must show that country conditions have so changed that it is no longer more likely than not that the applicant would be persecuted should he be forced to return.