Opinion ID: 2973852
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Familial Status

Text: Kalaj v. Gonzales Case No. 05-3172 page 7 of 13 The first issue is whether the IJ failed to give sufficient weight to their son’s favorable asylum petition. The Kalajs argue that their son’s receipt of asylum in the United States is evidence that they would be persecuted if they returned to Albania. They contend that, under 8 C.F.R. § 208.13(b)(2)(iii)(A), the fear of future persecution need not be specific to the individual applicant if “[t]he applicant establishes that there is a pattern or practice . . . of persecution of a group of similarly situated to the applicant on account of a protected ground.” 8 C.F.R. § 208.13(b)(2)(iii)(A). In Akhtar v. Gonzales, 406 F.3d 399, 403 (6th Cir. 2005), this Court affirmed the IJ’s finding that the son of a murdered political activist, who was apolitical, could not establish that he would be persecuted because of his own political affiliation or as a member of his own immediate family who involved in political activities. Id. at 403. This Court stated that “[a]lthough acts of violence against an alien’s family members may demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution, absent a pattern of persecution tied to the asylum applicant, himself or herself, acts of violence against family members do not necessarily demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution.” Id. Although relevant, familial status alone cannot support a claim for persecution. Id. at 406 (citing Ciorba v. Ashcroft, 323 F.3d 539, 545 (7th Cir. 2003)). Similarly, even though the Kalajs’ son was persecuted, the Kalajs failed to offer evidence that their claims standing alone would support a grant of asylum. The government correctly contended that the evidence of their son’s persecution is highly suspect where the affidavit from his son was not properly notarized and Mr. Kalaj could not give detailed testimony regarding his son’s persecution. Also, although there is a distinction here that Mr. Kalaj is not apolitical like the Kalaj v. Gonzales Case No. 05-3172 page 8 of 13 petitioner in Akhtar, there must be familial affiliation plus reasonable, substantial, and probative evidence on the record as a whole that the Kalajs were persecuted. Where the Kalajs could not present credible evidence that they would be persecuted in the future, they cannot establish a claim for future persecution. Thus, the IJ properly disregarded their claim of asylum based on their son’s successful asylum claim to support their petition for asylum.