Poro v. United States Department of Justice

161 F. App'x 89
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Second Circuit
DecidedDecember 28, 2005
DocketNos. 04-1606-AG(L), 04-1609-AG(CON), 04-1610-AG(CON)
StatusPublished

This text of 161 F. App'x 89 (Poro v. United States Department of Justice) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Poro v. United States Department of Justice, 161 F. App'x 89 (2d Cir. 2005).

Opinion

SUMMARY ORDER

UPON DUE CONSIDERATION of this consolidated petition for review of a decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) and the Respondent’s motion to dismiss the petition, it is hereby ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that the motion to dismiss is granted in part and the petition for review is DENIED.

Aleksander, Elisabeta and Enkela Poro, citizens of Albania, petition for review of a final order of the BIA affirming an immigration judge’s (“IJ”) decision, which denied their applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). We assume the parties’ familiarity with the underlying facts and procedural history of the case.

The Government argues in its motion to dismiss that this Court cannot reach the merits of Aleksander and Elisabeta Poro’s asylum claims, because the Court lacks jurisdiction to reassess the agency’s findings as to the timeliness of Aleksander’s application. The INA states, in pertinent part, that: “[n]o court shall have jurisdiction to review any determination of the Attorney General,” 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(3), concerning the timeliness of an alien’s application for asylum, see 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(2)(B). However, the REAL ID Act states that:

nothing in subparagraph (B) or (C), or in any other provision of this chapter (other than this section) which limits or eliminates judicial review, shall be construed as precluding review of constitutional claims or questions of law raised upon a petition for review filed with an appropriate court of appeals in accordance with this section.

8 U.S.C. § 1252(a)(2)(D). The plain language of this provision allows this Court to review a determination by the agency concerning the timeliness of an alien’s application for asylum if constitutional claims or questions of law are raised.

The IJ ruled that Aleksander had failed to provide credible testimony as to the reasons why his asylum application was late, and, as such, the IJ concluded that he had failed to establish that there were extraordinary or changed circumstances sufficient to excuse his failure to file within one year of arrival. Because these factual determinations did not involve a constitutional claim, nor a question of law, this Court lacks jurisdiction to reassess them, and the Government’s motion to dismiss the petition for review as to Aleksander and Elisabeta Poro’s asylum claims is thus granted.

The Government also argues that the Poros have not exhausted their withholding of removal or CAT claims, as they did not challenge the IJ’s denial of these claims before the BIA. The Poros did not challenge the IJ’s denial of their CAT claims, and they are thus barred from raising the issue on appeal to this Court. See 8 U.S.C. § 1252(d)(1) (discussing exhaustion requirement); Foster v. INS, 376 F.3d 75, 78 (2d Cir.2004) (per curiam) (explaining that exhaustion requirement is jurisdictional). In their filings with the BIA, however, the Poros, have adequately preserved their withholding of removal claims. As such, the Government’s motion to dismiss is not granted on that ground.

This Court reviews the agency’s factual findings, including adverse credibility de[91]*91terminations, under the substantial evidence standard. See 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(4)(B); Jin Hui Gao v. United States Att’y Gen., 400 F.3d 963, 964 (2d Cir.2005); Zhou Yun Zhang v. INS, 386 F.3d 66, 73-79 (2d Cir.2004); Ramsameachire v. Ashcroft, 357 F.3d 169, 178-83 (2d Cir.2004); Secaida-Rosales v. INS, 331 F.3d 297, 306-13 (2d Cir.2003); Diallo v. INS, 232 F.3d 279, 286-88 (2d Cir.2000).

This Court has jurisdiction to review the IJ’s credibility determination inasmuch as it was the basis upon which Enkela Poro’s derivative asylum claim was denied. This Court also has jurisdiction to review the IJ’s credibility determination as it was the basis for the denial of the Poros’ withholding of removal claims.

The IJ’s finding that the medical report dated October 5, 2000 was contrary to Aleksander Poro’s testimony as to the events was a “specific, cogent reason” weighing against his credibility. See Secaida-Rosales, 331 F.3d at 307. Aleksander testified that he did not go to the hospital until October 7, 2000, and the medical report is dated October 5, 2000. Additionally, the reasons Aleksander offered for this discrepancy do not explain it. This discrepancy thus “bear[s] a legitimate nexus” to the IJ’s finding, as it concerns details surrounding one of the major events upon which Aleksander premised his claim, the October 2000 detention and beating that he allegedly suffered because of his political affiliation. See id. As such, the IJ’s adverse credibility determination on this basis is supported by substantial evidence. See Zhou Yun Zhang, 386 F.3d at 73.

The IJ’s decision that Aleksander’s testimony had “generalities and vagueness regarding some specific aspects of the claim” is also supported by substantial evidence. This Court has noted that an applicant’s testimony at a hearing is “too vague” if it does not identify facts corresponding to each of the elements of one of the “refugee” categories of the immigration statutes, as interpreted by the BIA and the federal courts. See Jin Shui Qiu v. Ashcroft, 329 F.3d 140, 151 (2d Cir.2003) (discussing Guan Shan Liao v. U.S. Dep’t of Justice, 293 F.3d 61 (2d Cir.2002)). Three instances of vagueness that the IJ noted were that Aleksander: (1) did not know who the individuals were who had attacked him in August 1999; (2) gave only a generalized recount, without offering evidence of political animus, as to his October 2000 detention; and (3) gave no information regarding who was behind the alleged shooting at his shop. As such, by not offering concrete facts to demonstrate that any of these events were motivated by his political affiliation, Aleksander was vague as to how he had suffered past persecution on account of political opinion, or how it is more likely than not that his “life or freedom would be threatened” because of his political opinion. See 8 C.F.R. § 208.16(b)(1).

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161 F. App'x 89, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/poro-v-united-states-department-of-justice-ca2-2005.