Filed: Aug. 26, 2011
Latest Update: Feb. 22, 2020
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 11-1110 YI DONG LIN, Petitioner, v. ERIC H. HOLDER, JR., Attorney General, Respondent. On Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration Appeals. Submitted: August 15, 2011 Decided: August 26, 2011 Before GREGORY, DUNCAN, and KEENAN, Circuit Judges. Petition denied by unpublished per curiam opinion. Gary J. Yerman, New York, New York, for Petitioner. Tony West, Assistant Attorney General, John Hogan, Senior Litiga
Summary: UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 11-1110 YI DONG LIN, Petitioner, v. ERIC H. HOLDER, JR., Attorney General, Respondent. On Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration Appeals. Submitted: August 15, 2011 Decided: August 26, 2011 Before GREGORY, DUNCAN, and KEENAN, Circuit Judges. Petition denied by unpublished per curiam opinion. Gary J. Yerman, New York, New York, for Petitioner. Tony West, Assistant Attorney General, John Hogan, Senior Litigat..
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UNPUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
No. 11-1110
YI DONG LIN,
Petitioner,
v.
ERIC H. HOLDER, JR., Attorney General,
Respondent.
On Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration
Appeals.
Submitted: August 15, 2011 Decided: August 26, 2011
Before GREGORY, DUNCAN, and KEENAN, Circuit Judges.
Petition denied by unpublished per curiam opinion.
Gary J. Yerman, New York, New York, for Petitioner. Tony West,
Assistant Attorney General, John Hogan, Senior Litigation
Counsel, Ashley Y. Martin, Office of Immigration Litigation,
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, Washington, D.C., for
Respondent.
Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit.
PER CURIAM:
Yi Dong Lin, a native and citizen of the People’s
Republic of China, petitions for review of an order of the Board
of Immigration Appeals (“Board”) dismissing his appeal from the
immigration judge’s decision denying his applications for
asylum, withholding of removal and withholding under the
Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). We deny the petition for
review.
The Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”) authorizes
the Attorney General to confer asylum on any refugee. 8 U.S.C.
§ 1158(a) (2006). The INA defines a refugee as a person
unwilling or unable to return to his native 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) (2006).
“Persecution involves the infliction or threat of death,
torture, or injury to one’s person or freedom, on account of one
of the enumerated grounds. . . .” Qiao Hua Li v. Gonzales,
405
F.3d 171, 177 (4th Cir. 2005) (internal quotation marks and
citations omitted).
An alien “bear[s] the burden of proving eligibility
for asylum,” Naizgi v. Gonzales,
455 F.3d 484, 486 (4th Cir.
2006); see 8 C.F.R. § 1208.13(a) (2011), and can establish
refugee status based on past persecution in his native country
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on account of a protected ground. 8 C.F.R. § 1208.13(b)(1)
(2011). “An applicant who demonstrates that he was the subject
of past persecution is presumed to have a well-founded fear of
persecution.” Ngarurih v. Ashcroft,
371 F.3d 182, 187 (4th Cir.
2004).
Without regard to past persecution, an alien can
establish a well-founded fear of persecution on a protected
ground.
Ngarurih, 371 F.3d at 187. The well-founded fear
standard contains both a subjective and an objective component.
The objective element requires a showing of specific, concrete
facts that would lead a reasonable person in like circumstances
to fear persecution. Gandziami-Mickhou v. Gonzales,
445 F.3d
351, 353 (4th Cir. 2006). “The subjective component can be met
through the presentation of candid, credible, and sincere
testimony demonstrating a genuine fear of persecution . . . .
[It] must have some basis in the reality of the circumstances
and be validated with specific, concrete facts . . . and it
cannot be mere irrational apprehension.” Qiao Hua
Li, 405 F.3d
at 176 (internal quotation marks and citations omitted).
To establish eligibility for withholding of removal,
an alien must show a clear probability that, if he was removed
to his native country, his “life or freedom would be threatened”
on a protected ground. 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(3)(A) (2006); see
Camara v. Ashcroft,
378 F.3d 361, 370 (4th Cir. 2004). A “clear
3
probability” means that it is more likely than not that the
alien would be subject to persecution. INS v. Stevic,
467 U.S.
407, 429-30 (1984). Unlike asylum, withholding of removal is
mandatory for anyone whose establishes that there “life or
freedom would be threatened . . . because of [their] race,
religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group,
or political opinion.” 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(3)(A) (2006).
A trier of fact who rejects an applicant’s testimony
on credibility grounds must offer “specific, cogent reason[s]”
for doing so. Figeroa v. INS,
886 F.2d 76, 78 (4th Cir. 1989).
“Examples of specific and cogent reasons include inconsistent
statements, contradictory evidence, and inherently improbable
testimony . . . .” Tewabe v. Gonzales,
446 F.3d 533, 538 (4th
Cir. 2006) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted).
This court accords broad, though not unlimited, deference to
credibility findings supported by substantial evidence.
Camara,
378 F.3d at 367.
Credibility determinations are to be made based on the
totality of the circumstances and all relevant factors,
including “the demeanor, candor, or responsiveness of the
applicant or witness, the inherent plausibility of the
applicant’s or witness’s account, the consistency between the
applicant’s or witness’s written and oral statements (whenever
made and whether or not under oath, and considering the
4
circumstances under which the statements were made), the
internal consistency of each such statement, the consistency of
such statements with other evidence of record . . . . and any
inaccuracies or falsehoods in such statements, without regard to
whether an inconsistency, inaccuracy, or falsehood goes to the
heart of the applicant’s claim.” 8 U.S.C. § 1158(b)(1)(B)(iii)
(2006).
A determination regarding eligibility for asylum or
withholding of removal is affirmed if supported by substantial
evidence on the record considered as a whole. INS v. Elias-
Zacarias,
502 U.S. 478, 481 (1992). Administrative findings of
fact, including findings on credibility, are conclusive unless
any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to decide to the
contrary. 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(4)(B) (2006). Legal issues are
reviewed de novo, “affording appropriate deference to the BIA’s
interpretation of the INA and any attendant regulations.” Li
Fang Lin v. Mukasey,
517 F.3d 685, 691-92 (4th Cir. 2008). This
court will reverse the Board only if “the evidence . . .
presented was so compelling that no reasonable factfinder could
fail to find the requisite fear of persecution.” Elias-
Zacarias, 502 U.S. at 483-84; see Rusu v. INS,
296 F.3d 316, 325
n.14 (4th Cir. 2002). Furthermore, “[t]he agency decision that
an alien is not eligible for asylum is ‘conclusive unless
manifestly contrary to the law and an abuse of discretion.’”
5
Marynenka v. Holder,
592 F.3d 594, 600 (4th Cir. 2010) (quoting
8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(4)(D) (2006)).
We have reviewed the record and conclude that the
immigration judge’s finding that Lin was not credible is
supported by substantial evidence. The immigration judge took
note of Lin’s testimonial demeanor, which was supported by
references to the transcript, Lin’s testimony involving his New
York identification card and Lin’s testimony regarding his
public opposition to the family planning policy. We find the
record does not compel a different conclusion in this regard.
We also conclude that substantial evidence supports
the finding that even if Lin was credible, he failed to show
that he suffered past persecution on account of his wife’s
forced abortion. See Matter of J-S-, 24 I. & N. Dec. 520 (A.G.
2008); see also Yi Ni v. Holder,
613 F.3d 415, 427 (4th Cir.
2010). In addition, we conclude substantial evidence supports
the finding that Lin did not show a well-founded fear of
persecution, either because of China’s family planning policy or
because of his fear that he may be a jailed or fined if he
returns to China and it is discovered that he was smuggled out
of the country. Accordingly, the record does not compel a
different result with regard to the denial of asylum or
withholding from removal.
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In addition, we conclude that substantial evidence
supports the denial of relief under the CAT. In his brief, Lin
fails to cite anything from the record that supports a finding
that it is “more likely than not that he [] would be tortured if
removed” to China. 8 C.F.R. § 1208.16(c)(2) (2011).
Accordingly, we deny the petition for review. We
dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal
contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the
court and argument would not aid the decisional process.
PETITION DENIED
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