Filed: Aug. 25, 2015
Latest Update: Mar. 02, 2020
Summary: 14-290 Yang v. Lynch BIA A099 670 256 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT SUMMARY ORDER RULINGS BY SUMMARY ORDER DO NOT HAVE PRECEDENTIAL EFFECT. CITATION TO A SUMMARY ORDER FILED ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2007, IS PERMITTED AND IS GOVERNED BY FEDERAL RULE OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE 32.1 AND THIS COURT=S LOCAL RULE 32.1.1. WHEN CITING A SUMMARY ORDER IN A DOCUMENT FILED WITH THIS COURT, A PARTY MUST CITE EITHER THE FEDERAL APPENDIX OR AN ELECTRONIC DATABASE (WITH THE NOTATION “SUMMARY
Summary: 14-290 Yang v. Lynch BIA A099 670 256 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT SUMMARY ORDER RULINGS BY SUMMARY ORDER DO NOT HAVE PRECEDENTIAL EFFECT. CITATION TO A SUMMARY ORDER FILED ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2007, IS PERMITTED AND IS GOVERNED BY FEDERAL RULE OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE 32.1 AND THIS COURT=S LOCAL RULE 32.1.1. WHEN CITING A SUMMARY ORDER IN A DOCUMENT FILED WITH THIS COURT, A PARTY MUST CITE EITHER THE FEDERAL APPENDIX OR AN ELECTRONIC DATABASE (WITH THE NOTATION “SUMMARY ..
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14-290
Yang v. Lynch
BIA
A099 670 256
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT
SUMMARY ORDER
RULINGS BY SUMMARY ORDER DO NOT HAVE PRECEDENTIAL EFFECT. CITATION TO A SUMMARY ORDER FILED
ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2007, IS PERMITTED AND IS GOVERNED BY FEDERAL RULE OF APPELLATE
PROCEDURE 32.1 AND THIS COURT=S LOCAL RULE 32.1.1. WHEN CITING A SUMMARY ORDER IN A DOCUMENT
FILED WITH THIS COURT, A PARTY MUST CITE EITHER THE FEDERAL APPENDIX OR AN ELECTRONIC DATABASE
(WITH THE NOTATION “SUMMARY ORDER”). A PARTY CITING TO A SUMMARY ORDER MUST SERVE A COPY
OF IT ON ANY PARTY NOT REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL.
At a stated term of the United States Court of Appeals for
the Second Circuit, held at the Thurgood Marshall United States
Courthouse, 40 Foley Square, in the City of New York, on the
25th day of August, two thousand fifteen.
PRESENT:
ROBERT A. KATZMANN,
Chief Judge,
REENA RAGGI,
DENNY CHIN,
Circuit Judges.
_____________________________________
ZHONG CHI YANG,
Petitioner,
v.
14-290
NAC
LORETTA E. LYNCH, UNITED STATES
ATTORNEY GENERAL,
Respondent.
_____________________________________
FOR PETITIONER: Peter D. Lobel, New York, N.Y.
FOR RESPONDENT: Joyce R. Branda, Acting Assistant
Attorney General; Kohsei Ugumori,
Senior Litigation Counsel; C.
Frederick Sheffield, Trial
Attorney, Office of Immigration
Litigation, United States
Department of Justice, Washington,
DC.
UPON DUE CONSIDERATION of this petition for review of a
Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) decision, it is hereby
ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that the petition for review is
DENIED.
Petitioner Zhong Chi Yang, a native and citizen of the
People’s Republic of China, seeks review of a January 2, 2014,
decision of the BIA denying his motion to reopen. In re Zhong
Chi Yang, No. A099 670 256 (B.I.A. Jan. 2, 2014). We assume
the parties’ familiarity with the underlying facts and
procedural history in this case.
We review the BIA’s denial of a motion to reopen “for abuse
of discretion, mindful that motions to reopen ‘are
disfavored.’” Ali v. Gonzales,
448 F.3d 515, 517 (2d Cir. 2006)
(per curiam) (quoting INS v. Doherty,
502 U.S. 314, (1992)).
When the BIA considers relevant evidence of country conditions
in evaluating a motion to reopen, we review the BIA’s factual
findings under the substantial-evidence standard. See Jian
Hui Shao v. Mukasey,
546 F.3d 138, 169 (2d Cir. 2008).
The BIA’s denial of Yang’s motion to reopen was not an abuse
of discretion. Because Yang filed his motion more than 90 days
after the agency’s final administrative decision, he was
required to demonstrate a material change in conditions in China
to excuse the applicable time limitation. 8 U.S.C.
§ 1229a(c)(7)(C)(i), (ii); 8 C.F.R. § 1003.2(c)(2), (3).
We find no abuse of discretion in the BIA’s conclusion that
the evidence Yang submitted was insufficient to establish
changed country conditions material to his claim that he was
eligible for relief based on his conversion to Christianity
while in the United States. Contrary to Yang’s contention, the
BIA acknowledged evidence that supported his claim, such as
reports of the arrests of some house church leaders and the
harassment of church members. See Xiao Ji Chen v. U.S. Dep’t
of Justice,
471 F.3d 315, 337 n.17 (2d Cir. 2006) (stating that
the Court “presume[s] that [the agency] has taken into account
all of the evidence before [it], unless the record compellingly
suggests otherwise”). Despite that evidence, the BIA
reasonably found that the record did not demonstrate that Yang
would face persecution under current conditions. The reports
indicated that whether authorities tolerate or repress
unregistered religious activity varies regionally. And the
2011 ChinaAid Annual Report, which lists incidents of religious
3
persecution by province, reflects none in Yang’s home province
of Fujian for the reporting year. The BIA was not compelled
to conclude that this evidence reflected a change in country
conditions material to Yang’s claimed fear of harm. See Jian
Hui
Shao, 546 F.3d at 171.
Because Yang failed to demonstrate changed country
conditions material to his eligibility for relief, the BIA did
not abuse its discretion in denying his motion to reopen as
untimely. See 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(c)(7)(C); Jian Hui
Shao, 546
F.3d at 168-69. Accordingly, we need not address the parties’
arguments regarding the BIA’s alternative findings as to Yang’s
prima facie eligibility for relief.
For the foregoing reasons, the petition for review is
DENIED. As we have completed our review, the pending motion
for a stay of removal in this petition is DENIED as moot.
FOR THE COURT:
Catherine O=Hagan Wolfe, Clerk
4