Opinion ID: 3066093
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Bassene’s affiliation with the MFDC

Text: In 1986, when Bassene was eighteen years old, his family was forcefully recruited into financially supporting the MFDC. Six gunmen from the movement’s armed wing intruded into his family’s home in the late evening hours. After Bassene’s mother and sisters were moved to another location within Bassene’s family’s home, the gunmen demanded that Bassene and his father join the MFDC to help gain greater prosperity for the region. Bassene’s father initially refused. The gunmen said if Bassene’s father wanted to live, his family needed to be involved with the MFDC in some way. Bassene’s family opted to contribute about $6 per month to the MFDC. Bassene’s mother and two sisters, who still live in Senegal, continue to pay this contribution under threat of retaliation. The Bassenes were issued a family card to demonstrate their affiliation with the armed wing of the MFDC. The MFDC also has a distinct and legal political wing. Bassene testified that he is sympathetic to the peaceful objectives of the MFDC’s political wing. He once participated in a large event organized by the political wing of the MFDC in 1992, whose purpose was to restore peace in Senegal. Several of Bassene’s family members have been killed or have lost their homes because of the conflict between the armed wing of the MFDC and the Senegalese government. Two of Bassene’s male cousins joined the armed wing of the MFDC in 1991. After a Senegalese military raid in 1993, the area where the men were camping was burned, they were arrested by the military, and they were never heard from again. Bassene’s aunt’s village was burned and she lost her home as a result of the conflict between the Senegalese government and the MFDC’s armed wing. As of 2001, over BASSENE V. HOLDER 7 a hundred civilians have been extrajudicially executed or “disappeared by” the Senegalese military, and dozens have been deliberately or arbitrarily killed by the armed wing of the MFDC. In 1992, Bassene was detained, arrested, and beaten by the Senegalese military because of his affiliation with the MFDC’s armed wing. Bassene was traveling home from school on the Thursday before the Easter holiday. While passing through a checkpoint, Bassene was detained and searched by the Senegalese military. After the soldiers found Bassene’s MFDC card, they escorted Bassene to a small building for questioning. Bassene told the soldiers that he was a student and that he had been forced to carry the MFDC card. The soldiers took Bassene to jail and placed him in a cell with five other men. The soldiers beat Bassene and made derogatory comments about his Diola heritage. There was no running water in the cell. It was not until the following morning, on Friday, that the men were given some food and allowed to go to the bathroom. The soldiers questioned Bassene for an additional six hours that day. On Saturday morning at 2:00 a.m., the soldiers placed a call to the University of Dakar. The University confirmed that Bassene was a full-time student. Bassene paid a $30 fine and was subsequently released. At the time of his release, Bassene’s face was bleeding and swollen from being pushed into a wall by a soldier. The soldier escorting Bassene out of jail threatened him, saying the next time he was caught by the military, “that will be the end of it.” 8 BASSENE V. HOLDER Bassene fears that if he returns to Senegal he will be arrested and interrogated regarding his whereabouts for the past nine years. Bassene also believes that if he returns to Senegal, the MFDC’s armed wing will attempt to recruit him again. He does not believe the Senegalese government will be able to protect him from the MFDC’s armed wing. 3. Bassene’s immigration proceedings in the United States Bassene was legally admitted to the United States on November 27, 1997, on a J-1 cultural exchange visa. Bassene came to the United States from Senegal to participate in an internship program in hotel management. His visa expired a year-and-a-half later on June 29, 1999. Bassene wanted to stay in the United States legally. He feared returning to Senegal because he had been arrested, detained, beaten, and threatened by the Senegalese military. An American college student who was an acquaintance of Bassene’s advised Bassene to apply for United States citizenship. As a result, Bassene mistakenly believed that he could obtain lawful status in the United States based on his fear of persecution in Senegal by filing an N-400 citizenship application. On November 1, 1999, Bassene filed an N-400 citizenship application. The N-400 citizenship application requests information from the applicant setting forth his or her eligibility for citizenship, including lawful permanent residency status and compliance with immigration laws. Question 15 asked if Bassene had been arrested for “breaking or violating any law or ordinance.” Bassene checked a box indicating that he had never been arrested for those reasons. Part 9 of the citizenship application asked Bassene to list his affiliations with “organization[s].” Bassene did not disclose BASSENE V. HOLDER 9 his membership in the armed wing of the MFDC because he was forced to be a member of the organization. Bassene attached a one-page statement to his N-400 citizenship application to convey that he feared returning to Senegal because he expected to see a question about persecution in his home country. In the one-page statement, Bassene elaborated, in general terms, on the turbulent situation in his home region of Casamance. Bassene’s N-400 application for citizenship was denied on July 20, 2000, and Bassene requested a hearing on the denial. On February 15, 2001, Bassene met with an Immigration and Naturalization Service officer. The officer conducted a de novo review of Bassene’s N-400 citizenship application and found Bassene ineligible for naturalization. The officer told Bassene that he could apply for asylum. The officer gave Bassene an I-589 asylum application; a list of the countries whose nationals were eligible for asylum, withholding of removal, or CAT relief; and a list of free legal services. On March 8, 2001, Bassene submitted his I-589 asylum application that he completed without the assistance of counsel. In his asylum application, Bassene provided detailed accounts of the night in 1986 when his family was forced to join the armed wing of the MFDC. Bassene also described his 1992 arrest by the Senegalese military. Several years later, on August 29, 2006, Bassene appeared before the IJ in San Diego at his removal hearing. 10 BASSENE V. HOLDER Bassene conceded removability and asked for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under CAT.1