Court Opinion

ID: 9498552
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 17:20:20.476778+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:58:53.737707
License: Public Domain

HEANEY, Circuit Judge, dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. I would reverse the IJ’s denial of petitioner’s motion to reconsider whether he had filed a frivolous application. While there are inconsistencies in this record, none of them is so egregious as to merit forever barring Fongwo from applying for asylum-related relief in this country, which will be the ultimate effect of the majority’s opinion.
I agree with the majority that the thrust of the IJ’s denial of Fongwo’s asylum claim “involves a dispute over the petitioner’s identity.” Ante at 946. I disagree, however, that the IJ was warranted in failing to reconsider her earlier ruling that Fong-wo’s application was frivolous because he had lied about his true identity. Fongwo has maintained since he arrived in the United States that he is Jean Noel Fong-wo. He explained at his first interview with immigration authorities that he used the name Jean Tamu as an alias. Fongwo later clarified that his use of this alias and supporting documents in Tamu’s name helped him escape from Cameroon. Had he used his true identity, his departure would have been more difficult due to his membership in opposition political organizations.
The IJ disbelieved Fongwo’s claim largely due to the forensic evidence presented by the government. That evidence indicated that Fongwo’s passport, national identity card, and birth certificate-all of which were in the name of Jean Tamu-may be genuine. Accordingly, the IJ opined that Fongwo must be lying about his identity, and was thus not credible.
After reviewing the record, I cannot agree with this conclusion. I accept that an asylum applicant may lie about his identity, but think it safe to assume he would only do so to benefit himself. According to the government, this petitioner had Tamu’s birth certificate, national identity card, and passport, and thus he was truly Tamu. If so, absolutely no benefit would be gained by stating he was Fongwo. To the contrary, it would have benefitted the petitioner to maintain that he was Tamu, if that were the case. His asylum claim was based on Fongwo’s alleged persecution and jailing for his membership in political organizations such as the Social Democratic Front. Recall, however, that the IJ discounted the SDF card indicating Fongwo’s membership because she believed anyone could get one. Presumably, if SDF cards are easy to come by, the petitioner could have procured one in the name of Jean Tamu as well, if that is his true identity. Moreover, efforts to confirm whether Fongwo was jailed were unsuccessful. Assuming arguendo, therefore, that Fongwo may not have been persecuted on account of his political views, it would be senseless for petitioner to falsely claim he was Fong-wo for asylum purposes. Given this record, I cannot accept the harsh result that attaches to a finding that Fongwo’s application was frivolous, and would remand for reconsideration of that finding.