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CISSE v. GARLAND (2021)

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.2021-04-15No. No. 20-71333

Summary

Holding. The court denied Cisse's petition for review, affirming the Board of Immigration Appeals' dismissal of his appeal and upholding the immigration judge's denials of asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture protection.

Soryba Cisse sought review of a decision denying his applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture. The immigration judge found that Cisse's testimony lacked credibility due to material omissions and inconsistencies, particularly his failure to mention religion-based persecution in his initial interview despite later claiming it as the basis for his asylum claim. The Board of Immigration Appeals affirmed this determination.

The court found that substantial evidence supported the adverse credibility finding. Cisse's prehearing interview included procedural safeguards such as an oath, interpreter services, and a written record, making it reliable for comparison with his later hearing testimony. Additionally, the documents he submitted did not rehabilitate his credibility or independently establish his eligibility for relief. The court also rejected his Convention Against Torture claim, finding he failed to demonstrate a likelihood of torture by the government, and dismissed his due process challenge, noting that an immigration judge's unfriendliness or adversarial demeanor alone does not constitute fundamental unfairness.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Whether substantial evidence supports an adverse credibility determination based on material omissions and inconsistencies between a prehearing interview and hearing testimony
  • Whether procedural safeguards in an asylum officer interview ensure reliability for credibility purposes
  • Whether documentary evidence can rehabilitate an applicant's testimony or independently satisfy burden of proof
  • Whether an applicant meets the Convention Against Torture standard requiring proof of likely torture by or with government acquiescence
  • Whether an immigration judge's adversarial manner or expressed frustration violates due process

Procedural posture

Cisse petitioned for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals' dismissal of his appeal from an immigration judge's denial of his asylum and related relief applications.

Authorities cited

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Opinion

MEMORANDUM **

Soryba Cisse petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) dismissal of his appeal from an immigration judges (“IJ”) denial of his applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). We review the agencys “legal conclusions de novo and its factual findings for substantial evidence.” Bringas-Rodriguez v. Sessions, 850 F.3d 1051, 1059 (9th Cir. 2017) (en banc) (citations omitted). Exercising jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252, we deny the petition for review.

1. Substantial evidence supports the agencys adverse credibility determination. The IJ found material, non-trivial omissions and inconsistencies between Cisses credible fear interview with an asylum officer and his hearing testimony, and between his documentary evidence and his hearing testimony. See Ren v. Holder, 648 F.3d 1079, 1089 (9th Cir. 2011).

Although Cisse alleged persecution on account of his religion, he did not mention religion in the prehearing interview or in the detailed written statement supporting his asylum application. Cisse did not simply fail to disclose details of the alleged persecution, he affirmatively denied threats or harm on account of his religion. See Li v. Ashcroft, 378 F.3d 959, 962-63 (9th Cir. 2004), superseded by statute on other grounds. See 8 U.S.C. § 1158(b)(1)(b)(iii).

The agency did not improperly rely on inconsistencies and omissions between Cisses prehearing interview and his hearing testimony. Unlike Joseph v. Holder, 600 F.3d 1235, 1243-44 (9th Cir. 2010), “procedural safeguards” were in place to “ensure reliability,” including the administration of an oath at the outset of the interview, the presence of a translator, and the existence of a written record of the questions and answers. At the conclusion of the interview, Cisse agreed with the asylum officers summary of his testimony and confirmed that he understood the questions and the interpreter. See Li, 378 F.3d at 962-63 (upholding adverse credibility determination based on discrepancies between petitioners statements in airport interview and subsequent testimony); see also Matter of J-C-H-F-, 27 I. & N. Dec. 211, 213 (B.I.A. 2018). The IJ found Cisses sworn statement to the asylum officer reliable and he did not contest that issue on appeal to the BIA.

The agency also did not err in concluding that documentary evidence did not rehabilitate Cisses testimony or independently meet his burden of proof. In the absence of credible testimony or other evidence to meet his burden, Cisses asylum and withholding of removal claims fail. Wang v. Sessions, 861 F.3d 1003, 1009 (9th Cir. 2017).

2. Cisse does not meaningfully challenge the BIAs affirmance of the denial of CAT protection. See Fed. R. App. P. 28(a)(8). Additionally, substantial evidence supports the agencys denial of CAT relief because Cisse failed to show that it is more likely than not that he would be tortured by or with the consent or acquiescence of the government if returned to Guinea. See Delgado-Ortiz v. Holder, 600 F.3d 1148, 1152 (9th Cir. 2010) (per curiam) (holding generalized evidence of violence and crime in petitioners home country was insufficient to meet the standard for CAT relief).

3. Cisses claim that the IJ violated his due process rights also fails. To demonstrate that an IJ committed a due process violation, a petitioner must show that “the underlying IJ proceeding was ‘so fundamentally unfair that the alien was prevented from reasonably presenting his case.’ ” Rizo v. Lynch, 810 F.3d 688, 693 (9th Cir. 2016) (citation omitted). Cisse argues that the IJ expressed frustration during the proceedings. But “a mere showing that the IJ was unfriendly, confrontational, or acted in an adversarial manner is not enough to” show that a proceeding was fundamentally unfair. Id. (citations omitted).

5. We deny as moot the motion for stay of removal.

PETITION DENIED.