Opinion ID: 164938
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: 21 An alien who fears persecution if removed from the United States has two possible avenues of relief: asylum and restriction on removal. See Tsevegmid v. Ashcroft, 336 F.3d 1231, 1234 (10th Cir.2003). Asylum generally permits the alien to remain in the United States, whereas restriction on removal forbids removal to the country where persecution is likely to occur. See id.; Wiransane v. Ashcroft, 366 F.3d 889, 893 (10th Cir.2004).
22 An alien who has been granted asylum may not be deported or removed unless his or her asylum status is terminated. 8 C.F.R. § 208.22. To be eligible for asylum, an alien must be a refugee, meaning that he or she must generally be outside his or her country of nationality and unable or unwilling to return to ... that 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), 1158(b)(1). 6 As a general matter, once refugee status is established, whether to grant or deny an asylum application is within the discretion of the Attorney General. INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. 421, 428 n. 5, 107 S.Ct. 1207, 94 L.Ed.2d 434 (1987) ([T]he Attorney General is not required to grant asylum to everyone who meets the definition of refugee.) (emphasis in original). 23 However, some categories of aliens are, by statute, ineligible to receive asylum even if they fall within the definition of a refugee. As relevant to our case, asylum is not available if the alien was firmly resettled in another country prior to arriving in the United States. 8 U.S.C. § 1158(b)(2)(A)(vi). Applicable regulations explain that, with exceptions not relevant in the instant case, an alien is considered to be firmly resettled in a third country when prior to arrival in the United States, he or she entered into another country with, or while in that country received, an offer of permanent resident status, citizenship, or some other type of permanent resettlement. 8 C.F.R. § 208.15. 7
24 Generally speaking, an alien may not be removed to a particular country if he or she can establish a clear probability of persecution in that country on the basis of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. See 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(3)(A); INS v. Stevic, 467 U.S. 407, 429-30, 104 S.Ct. 2489, 81 L.Ed.2d 321 (1984); Woldemeskel v. INS, 257 F.3d 1185, 1193 (10th Cir.2001). This test requires the alien to show that such persecution is more likely than not. Stevic, 467 U.S. at 429-30, 104 S.Ct. 2489; Woldemeskel, 257 F.3d at 1193. It is therefore more demanding than the `well-founded fear' standard applicable to an asylum claim. Tsevegmid, 336 F.3d at 1234. 25 The statutory provision governing restriction on removal also contains a different set of exceptions than does the asylum statute. Significantly, firm resettlement in a third country is not a bar to restriction on removal to the country where persecution is likely. See 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(3)(B); Salazar v. Ashcroft, 359 F.3d 45, 52 (1st Cir.2004) (Although firm resettlement is ... a bar to the grant of asylum, we have found no statute or regulation that bars the relief of withholding of [removal] on the basis of firm resettlement.). Additionally, unlike asylum, the decision to grant restriction on removal is mandatory once the statutory criteria are satisfied. Woldemeskel, 257 F.3d at 1193.
26 The Convention Against Torture provides another basis for restricting removal to a particular country. 8 Pursuant to this treaty, an alien is entitled not to be removed to a country if he or she can show that it is more likely than not that he or she would be tortured if removed to that country. 8 C.F.R. §§ 208.16(c)(2), (4). This protection is narrower than restriction on removal under 8 U.S.C. § 1231 in some respects, but broader in others. See Kamalthas v. INS, 251 F.3d 1279, 1283 (9th Cir.2001). The alien must show that the persecution at issue would be so severe as to rise to the level of torture, but he or she need not show that it would be on account of a protected classification. See id.
27 Because the BIA summarily affirmed the IJ's decision without opinion, we review the IJ's order as the final agency determination. Sviridov v. Ashcroft, 358 F.3d 722, 727 (10th Cir.2004). We consider any legal questions de novo, and we review the agency's findings of fact under the substantial evidence standard. Under that test, our duty is to guarantee that factual determinations are supported by reasonable, substantial and probative evidence considering the record as a whole. See id.; Kapcia v. INS, 944 F.2d 702, 705 (10th Cir.1991). 9 28 The IJ's credibility determinations, like other findings of fact, are subject to the substantial evidence test. See Cordero-Trejo v. INS, 40 F.3d 482, 487 (1st Cir.1994); Abdulrahman v. Ashcroft, 330 F.3d 587, 597 (3d Cir.2003); Osorio v. INS, 99 F.3d 928, 931 (9th Cir.1996). In particular, we have held that in order to determine that an alien is not a credible witness, the IJ must give specific, cogent reasons for disbelieving his or her testimony. Sviridov, 358 F.3d at 727. 29 Finally, our review is confined to the reasoning given by the IJ, and we will not independently search the record for alternative bases to affirm. See SEC v. Chenery Corp., 318 U.S. 80, 95, 63 S.Ct. 454, 87 L.Ed. 626 (1943); Secaida-Rosales v. INS, 331 F.3d 297, 305 (2d Cir.2003). If an agency decides a case on a ground believed by an appellate court to be wrong, the case has to be remanded to the agency. See Palavra v. INS, 287 F.3d 690, 693 (8th Cir.2002). Thus, in the instant case, our review of Petitioner's asylum application is limited to the IJ's firm resettlement determination, and our review of his restriction of removal application is limited to whether the IJ's adverse credibility determination is sustainable.