Court Opinion

ID: 9843270
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 02:31:51.026177+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:16:36.780800
License: Public Domain

MICHAEL DALY HAWKINS, Circuit Judge,
dissenting:
Asylum cases, by their very nature, are difficult to review. The claims relate to events in faraway places, often described by individuals who speak an unfamiliar language, and rarely, if ever, does the government present evidence. The asylum seeker’s testimony is often the sole basis for decision, and the hearing transcript, in turn, provides the sole basis for our review. 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(4)(A). That record becomes all the more important where the BIA, pursuant to its “streamlining” procedures, provides no analysis for its decision.
Because an adequate record is so essential to meaningful review, we as an appellate body must insist on a record that is properly translated and transcribed. Because this record cannot even charitably be described as adequate, I believe the proper course would be to grant the petition for review and remand the transcript for clarification. Although Singh does not specifically argue translation on appeal, he presented the argument to the BIA and has therefore preserved the issue for our review. See Agyeman v. INS, 296 F.3d 871, 877 (9th Cir.2002).
I.
We are asked to review the IJ’s decision that Singh was not credible using only the administrative record certified to this court on appeal. See Fisher v. INS, 79 F.3d 955, 963 (9th Cir.1996) (en banc). Singh’s hearing took place over two days, and two different translators were used to guide the Petitioner through questioning in his native Punjabi dialect. Following the close of evidence, the IJ determined that Singh lacked credibility, in part because he “ha[d] not been able to articulate what type of work he allegedly did for the Akali Dal Mann Group. He was vague and non-specific as to what he did, [how] often he did it, or where he did any of this.”
As a preliminary matter, “[generalized statements that do not identify specific examples of evasiveness or contradiction” are insufficient to support an adverse credibility determination. Garrovillas v. INS, 156 F.3d 1010, 1013 (9th Cir.1998). This particular determination by the IJ alleges neither evasiveness nor discrepancy; the IJ simply faults the Petitioner for what is, in truth, very confusing testimony. Given the obvious problems in translation throughout the transcript, this seems a very tenuous basis on which to question credibility.
Particularly troublesome are the following representative examples. This ex*1145change reportedly took place with regard to Singh’s role in the 1989 election:
Q: What was the election for in 1989?
A: Elections for Parliament were had in our area.
Q: And what — what did you do? What was your role?
A: Mostly, I would do it in my spare time — community kitchen (indiscernible).
Q: And what was — how did this support — or how was this connected with the election?
A: People used to get together so I would do an activity for them.
Q: Okay. What was the purpose of the gathering?
A: When people would come to (indiscernible) — they come to the Sikh temple and then they leave.
The record is no better when Singh was asked how often he would work for the Akali Dal Mann Group (“Mann group”):
Q: How often did you do this?
A: Whenever seniors would come and talk to us.
Q: Do you think you could give a more definite time. Would you say it was once a year, for example?
A: Like when gathering for the busiest ceremony to commemorate that was only of the (indiscernible).
Q: Is this in some way connected with the Akali Dal activities?
A: But they got (indiscernible) and (indiscernible) religious place and people at (indiscernible) to gather there.
Q: You mentioned you went out to villages and would tell people about the Akali Dal. Was there any particular occasion that this would come up?
A: They will say that this is doing (indiscernible) excesses but if we work together then it could help us.
* * *
Q: Right after the time that your cousin-brother, Karamgit was arrested and killed by the police, how may times do you think you helped set up for functions?
A: Used to work on December 25 when I daily got together in the memory of the son of the guru, I used to do when I worked there.
Q: So, that would be once a year. Did you do anything else politically at the time?
A: Yes, the seniors would come to (indiscernible) temples in the villages and then I used to ask people to get together there.
Q: Do you think you might do this once a year in addition to your helping on December 25th or how often do you think it was?
A: No, after about a month, when the seniors told me, then I would go to the villages.1
We do not know whether these problems are the result of inadequate translation or faulty transcription. Whatever the cause, one thing is clear: Singh’s testimony is replete with disjointed and nonsensical statements that should not be sufficient for a credibility determination that Singh was “vague” and “unspecific” about his participation in the Mann group. See Perez-Lastor v. INS, 208 F.3d 773, 778 (9th Cir.2000) (Incorrectly translated words are “direct evidence” of an incompetent translation and “unresponsive answers by the witness provide circumstantial evidence of translation problems.”) (citing Kovac v. *1146INS, 407 F.2d 102, 108 n. 12 (9th Cir.1969), and Acewicz v. INS, 984 F.2d 1056, 1063 (9th Cir.1993)).
Perceived inconsistencies and evasiveness that are the result of faulty or unreliable translation may not be sufficient to support a negative credibility finding. See He v. Ashcroft, 328 F.3d 593, 598 (9th Cir.2003). Similarly, vague testimony caused by transcription problems should not be faulted.2 For all we know, the specificity of Singh’s testimony was quite literally lost in translation, and no one' — not the IJ, the government lawyer, or even Singh’s own attorney — acted to rectify the confusion.3 Cf. Kotasz, 31 F.3d at 850 n. 2 (No due process violation where the translation was “at times ‘nonsensical’ ” and where “[clarification or repetition was at times required, but in each instance the misunderstanding was rectified to the apparent satisfaction of the parties.”).
II.
When this court receives such an indiscernible record on appeal, we should assume that one of two things occurred: either (1) communications occurred at the hearing that were not recorded in the transcript, giving the IJ a greater modicum of clarity as to the applicant’s testimony than is reflected in the transcript, or (2) the “cloudy” transcription is a verbatim account of what actually occurred. In the former case, we as a reviewing body cannot properly conduct an informed review based on unrecorded communications that may have fleshed out the merits vel non of the petitioner’s asylum claim. In the latter case, we should question whether the IJ had a full understanding of what the petitioner said or attempted to say in his testimony. See Amadou v. INS, 226 F.3d 724, 727 (6th Cir.2000) (Immigration Judge put on notice of interpretation problems by unresponsive and “indiscernible” answers). In either case, the right of the petitioner to fully present his case for relief is prejudiced where the IJ relies on the faulty transcript as the basis for his or her opinion. 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(b)(4)(B). See also Cano-Merida v. INS, 311 F.3d 960, 964 (9th Cir.2002) (Fifth Amendment due process requires a reasonable opportunity to present evidence on applicant’s own behalf).
On appeal, such a faulty transcript confounds the predicate rationale for administrative deference in the first place. See Mendoza Manimbao v. Ashcroft, 329 F.3d 655, 662 (9th Cir.2003) (An appellate body is simply unable to distill the dynamics of *1147an interview, observe whether words were interpreted properly, whether there was hesitation or whether the supposed inconsistency ... was a matter of misinterpretation, confusion, or a true inconsistency.”). Where the record of the hearing is replete with translation errors such that we are unable to decipher what in fact went on below, this court cannot possibly make an informed judgment with regard to substantial evidence.
In such a case, I believe that remand to the IJ for clarification of translation is appropriate. If the IJ cannot correct the record to reflect actual events in the hearing, then the faulty translation essentially amounts to a denial of judicial review guaranteed by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (“IIRIRA”). See generally, 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b). This is especially true because our review is limited solely to the information in the administrative record. See Fisher, 79 F.3d at 963.
The language of IIRIRA and its implementing regulations are instructive. Under 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(b)(4)(C), one of an applicant’s “rights” in his immigration proceeding is that “a complete record shall be kept of all testimony and evidence produced at the proceeding.” IIRIRA’s implementing regulations make clear that it is the responsibility of the Immigration Judge to “create and control” the record of the proceeding, 8 C.F.R. § 1003.36, as only the Immigration Court has “custodial responsibility” for immigration proceedings. 8 C.F.R. §§ 1003.11, 1003.13 (defining “administrative control” as “custodial responsibility for the Record of Proceeding as specified in 1003.11.”). This task does not end with the termination of the hearing or the certification of the translation by the transcriber. It is the ultimate responsibility of the IJ to create and preserve a record upon which this court can make a thorough and adequate judgment.
Placement of this responsibility on Immigration Judges is consistent with our cases recognizing that faulty translation cannot be the basis for an adverse credibility determination. He, 328 F.3d at 598. Faulty translation is particularly relevant in this context because often, “incompetent translation prevents] [the petitioner] from presenting relevant evidence ... eausfing] the BIA to find that his testimony was not credible.” Perez-Lastor, 208 F.3d at 777-78. The same logic applies to review by a court of appeals. Indeed, if the translation is egregious enough, it amounts to a deprivation of due process. In Perez-Lastor, we explained that “an incorrect or incompetent translation is the functional equivalent of no translation: the alien must be able to understand the question posed to him and to communicate his answer to the IJ.” Id. at 778, citing Hartooni v. INS, 21 F.3d 336, 340 (9th Cir.1994), and Augustin v. Sava, 735 F.2d 32, 37 (2d Cir.1984).
Remand is also consistent with the treatment given to records on appeal from district court by the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. Under Rule 10(e), “[i]f any difference arises about whether the record truly discloses what occurred in the district court, the difference must be submitted to and settled by that court and the record conformed accordingly.”
Fed. R.App. P. 10(e). The burden of producing an accurate record on appeal is placed squarely with the court, not the parties. It is however, the burden of the parties to order, compose, and file the record with the court of appeals. Only in this regard do the rules vary for appeals of administrative orders- — under Rule 17, the burden of producing and filing the record is placed on the agency, not the parties. Fed. R.App. P. 17(a). The special rules with regard to agencies do not, however, alter the general rule that mistakes or questions about the accuracy of the record *1148must be settled by the lower court and not the parties. See, e.g., Fed. R.App. P. 15-20.
The BIA has required no less of its Immigration Judges in the analogous circumstance of an asylum interview. In In re S-S, 211. & N. Dec. 121 (BIA 1995), the en banc BIA held that when “the applicant’s credibility is placed in issue because of alleged statements made at the asylum interview, our review requires a reliable record of what transpired at that interview.” 21 I. & N. Dec. at 133-34. In that case, the record of the initial asylum interview was “randomly organized, cryptic to all but the note-taker, and partially illegible.” Id. at 123. As a result, the BIA remanded the record to the immigration director, holding that “[a]t a minimum, the record must contain a meaningful, clear, and reliable summary of the statements made by the applicant....” Id. at 124. The BIA also noted that “[t]his record will also be indispensible to the applicant in preparing his rebuttal to the notice of intent to deny, and in making his arguments on appeal.” Id. Notes “cryptic to all but the note-taker, and partially illegible” in the interview setting are logically analogous to a hearing transcript that is vague, confusing and indiscernible in some places to all but possibly those initially present at the hearing.
III.
Until IJs are told, in no uncertain terms, that they are responsible for the production of an understandable record, we will continue to receive transcripts of hearings like this one. The buck must stop somewhere. When this court receives a record on appeal from which it is difficult or impossible to discern what actually went on in the proceeding, we can only assume that the IJ was similarly affected by either faulty transcription or bad translation, creating prejudice to the applicant. Accordingly, I would grant the petition for review and remand to the BIA to direct the IJ to either produce a legible transcript or grant Singh a new hearing. Only from a complete and understandable record can we provide meaningful judicial review.

. This is a representative excerpt of the hearing’s testimony — the term ''indiscernible” appears in the transcript some 73 times.

. It is important to note that were this finding the only basis for the IJ’s credibility determination, it is quite likely that Singh would have a due process claim. This court has recognized that the right to competent translation is required by due process in the immigration hearing context. He v. Ashcroft, 328 F.3d at 598; see also Kotasz v. INS, 31 F.3d 847, 850 n. 2 (9th Cir.1994) ("In order to make out a due process violation, ... the alien must show that a better translation would have made a difference in the outcome of the hearing.") (internal quotations omitted).

. More often than not, the lawyers proceeded with questions as if Singh had given a remotely intelligible answer. For example the following exchange regarding the 1990 arrest, in which petitioner’s attorney doesn't skip a beat despite his clients nonresponsive answers, implies that those present were privy to a greater degree of clarification than is reflected in the transcript:
Q: How were you helping in the elections that they considered was against the government?
A: We had helped someone (indiscernible).
Q: How did you help him?
A: We had got work (phonetic sp.) in his favor.
Q: Did you do anything else to help the Mann candidacy?
A: Just had caused work for him.
Q. Now what- — what did the police do with you and your father once you were arrested?