Sintian Rosibel Vallecillos-Torres, et al v. U.S. Attorney General

[DO NOT PUBLISH]
In the
United States Court of Appeals
For the Eleventh Circuit
____________________
No. 22-12998
Non-Argument Calendar
____________________
SINTIAN ROSIBEL VALLECILLOS-TORRES,
FRANCIS XIOMARA VALLECILLOS-TORRES,
KENSY XIOMARA LICONA-VALLECILLOS,
NEYLI NICOL LICONA-VALLECILLOS,
YOSEPH MANUEL VALLECILLOS-TORRES,
Petitioners,
versus
U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL,
Respondent.
____________________
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2 Opinion of the Court 22-12998
Petition for Review of a Decision of the
Board of Immigration Appeals
Agency No. A206-435-412
____________________
Before WILSON, J ORDAN, and TJOFLAT, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
Sintian Vallecillos-Torres (“Sintian”) and her son Yoseph, as
well as Francis Vallecillos-Torres (“Francis”) and her children
Kensy and Neyli (collectively the “Petitioners”), natives and citi-
zens of Honduras, seek review of the decision of the Board of Im-
migration Appeals (the “BIA”) affirming the denial of their applica-
tions for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the
United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, In-
human, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the “CAT”). Pe-
titioners argue that the BIA’s adverse credibility determination of
Sintian was not supported by substantial evidence, and that the rec-
ord compels a finding that they were eligible for asylum, withhold-
ing of removal, and CAT relief.
We review only the decision of the BIA, except to the extent
the BIA expressly adopts the immigration judge’s (“IJ”) opinion.
Lopez v. U.S. Att’y. Gen., 504 F.3d 1341, 1344 (11th Cir. 2007). When
the BIA agrees with the IJ’s findings but makes additional observa-
tions, we review both decisions. Singh v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 561 F.3d
1275, 1278 (11th Cir. 2009).
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22-12998 Opinion of the Court 3
Factual determinations, which include credibility determi-
nations, are reviewed under the substantial evidence test. Ruiz v.
U.S. Att’y Gen., 440 F.3d 1247, 1254–55 (11th Cir. 2006) (per cu-
riam). Under this highly deferential standard, we will affirm the
BIA’s decision if it is supported by reasonable, substantial, and pro-
bative evidence on the record considered as a whole. I.N.S. v. Elias-
Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 481, 112 S. Ct. 812, 815 (1992). Under the
substantial evidence test, we “review the record evidence in the
light most favorable to the agency’s decision and draw all reasona-
ble inferences in favor of that decision.” Ruiz, 440 F.3d at 1255
(quotation marks omitted). Accordingly, a finding of fact will be
reversed only when the record “compels” it, not merely because
the record may support a contrary conclusion. Id. (quotation
marks omitted).
An applicant for asylum must meet the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act’s (the “INA”) definition of a refugee. INA § 208(b)(1),
8 U.S.C. § 1158(b)(1). The INA defines a refugee as follows.
[A]ny person who is outside any country of such per-
son’s nationality . . . and who is unable or unwilling to
return to, and is unable or unwilling to avail himself
or herself of the protection of, that 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.
INA § 101(a)(42)(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42)(A). To meet the defini-
tion of a refugee, the applicant must, “with specific and credible
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4 Opinion of the Court 22-12998
evidence, demonstrate (1) past persecution on account of a statu-
torily listed factor, or (2) a well-founded fear that the statutorily
listed factor will cause future persecution.” Ruiz, 440 F.3d at 1257
(quotation omitted). Where an applicant demonstrates past perse-
cution, a rebuttable presumption that he has a well-founded fear of
future prosecution applies. Id. If the petitioner cannot show past
persecution, he must demonstrate “a well-founded fear of future
persecution that is both subjectively genuine and objectively rea-
sonable.” Id.
Like the showing required for asylum, an applicant seeking
the withholding of removal under the INA must demonstrate that
his “life or freedom would be threatened in that country because
of the alien’s race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular
social group, or political opinion.” INA § 241(b)(3)(A), 8 U.S.C.
§ 1231(b)(3)(A). Withholding of removal claims are governed by a
“more stringent” standard than asylum claims, however, requiring
the applicant to demonstrate that it is “more likely than not” that
he will be persecuted upon return to his home country. Sepulveda
v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 401 F.3d 1226, 1232 (11th Cir. 2005) (per curiam).
An applicant seeking CAT relief must establish “that it is
more likely than not that he or she would be tortured if removed
to the proposed country of removal.” 8 C.F.R. § 1208.16(c)(2).
The CAT defines torture as follows.
[A]ny act by which severe pain or suffering, whether
physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a per-
son for such purposes as obtaining from him or her
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22-12998 Opinion of the Court 5
or a third person information or a confession, punish-
ing him or her for an act he or she or a third person
has committed or is suspected of having committed,
or intimidating or coercing him or her or a third per-
son, or for any reason based on discrimination of any
kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at
the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence
of a public official or other person acting in an official
capacity.
8 C.F.R. § 208.18(a)(1). “Acquiescence” requires that a public offi-
cial have awareness of the torture before it occurs and “thereafter
breach his or her legal responsibility to intervene to prevent [it].”
Id. § 208.18(a)(7). Evidence relevant to an applicant’s eligibility for
CAT relief includes, but is not limited to: (1) incidents of past tor-
ture inflicted upon the applicant; (2) the viability of relocation
within the country of removal as a means to avoid torture; (3)
gross, flagrant or mass human rights violations in the country of
removal; and (4) other relevant country conditions. Id.
§ 208.16(c)(3)(i)–(iv). An applicant who is unable to meet the well-
founded fear standard for asylum is generally precluded from qual-
ifying for withholding of removal or CAT relief. Forgue v. U.S. Att’y
Gen., 401 F.3d 1282, 1288 n.4 (11th Cir. 2005) (“Because [the appli-
cant] has failed to establish a claim of asylum on the merits, he nec-
essarily fails to establish eligibility for withholding of removal or
protection under CAT.”).
If credible, an asylum applicant’s testimony alone may be
sufficient for the applicant to establish his eligibility for relief from
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6 Opinion of the Court 22-12998
removal. Ruiz, 440 F.3d at 1255. On the other hand, “an adverse
credibility determination alone may be sufficient to support the de-
nial of an asylum application,” but only if the alien fails to produce
evidence independent of his testimony. Forgue, 401 F.3d at 1287. If
the alien does produce other evidence of persecution, the agency
must consider it and decide whether it establishes the alien’s eligi-
bility for relief. Id.
An adverse credibility determination must be based on “spe-
cific, cogent reasons.” Ruiz, 440 F.3d at 1255 (quotation marks
omitted). Once an adverse credibility determination is made, the
applicant has the burden to show either that the determination was
not based on specific, cogent, reasons or that it is not supported by
substantial evidence. Forgue, 401 F.3d at 1287. An applicant’s tena-
ble explanation for an inconsistency or implausibility will not nec-
essarily warrant reversal, particularly where corroborating evi-
dence is lacking. See Chen v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 463 F.3d 1228, 1233 (11th
Cir. 2006) (per curiam) (concluding that, although applicant’s ex-
planations were tenable, they would not “compel a reasonable fact
finder to reverse the IJ’s credibility determination”).
An IJ may base a credibility finding on the totality of the cir-
cumstances, including: (1) the demeanor, candor, or responsiveness
of the applicant; (2) the inherent plausibility of the applicant’s ac-
count; (3) the consistency between the applicant’s written and oral
statements; (4) the internal consistency of each statement; and (5)
the consistency of the statements with other record evidence, in-
cluding State Department reports. INA § 208(b)(1)(B)(iii), 8 U.S.C.
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22-12998 Opinion of the Court 7
§ 1158(b)(1)(B)(iii). An adverse credibility determination may be
based on inaccuracies, inconsistences, and falsehoods, regardless of
whether they relate to the “heart” of the applicant’s claim. Id.
Here, substantial evidence supports the BIA’s adverse credi-
bility determination against Sintian. The IJ and BIA’s reasons for
the credibility determination are specific and cogent, as Sintian’s
testimony “was internally inconsistent, lacked candor, and lacked
corroboration.” Substantial evidence supports that assertion.
Sintian testified that Cardona1 threatened her and her family, but
could not remember the year, month, or season any of the threats
occurred. She testified that Cardona threatened to kidnap Yoseph
in 2011, but Yoseph was not born until 2013.
Substantial evidence also supports the finding that, in light
of the adverse credibility determination, the Petitioners did not
meet their burden of proving their eligibility for asylum, withhold-
ing of removal, or CAT relief. Aside from Sintian’s testimony,
nothing in the record corroborated the claim that Petitioners were
threatened. Sintian was the only member of the family allegedly
directly threatened by Cardona himself, and she never informed
1 Wilfredo Cardona stabbed Sintian and Francis’s father in the United States
in 2009 and was deported to Honduras, where Petitioners lived, in 2011.
While Cardona was not a member of any criminal organizations and had no
criminal history, Sintian testified that she heard rumors in her village that he
had killed people. Petitioners claimed that Cardona threatened them and that
they were afraid he would hurt or kill them if they remained in Honduras.
Sintian fled to the United States with her son, Yoseph, in 2014; Francis and her
two daughters followed in 2016.
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8 Opinion of the Court 22-12998
Francis about those threats. While Sintian testified that Cardona
passed by their house every day for weeks, no one else saw him.
Francis’s testimony was deemed credible, but she testified that she
never spoke to the man who threatened them. Without Sintian’s
testimony, there is no evidence in the record demonstrating past
persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution.
Even if Sintian’s testimony had been credible and the threats
had occurred, the BIA and IJ found that they did not rise to the level
of “persecution” because persecution is an “extreme concept” that
requires “more than a few isolated incidents of verbal harassment
or intimidation.” The BIA also affirmed the IJ’s finding that Peti-
tioners “never reported their past harm to the Honduran authori-
ties, or otherwise established that the Honduran authorities were
unable or unwilling to protect them.”
The BIA’s decision affirming the denial of Petitioners’ asy-
lum application was supported by reasonable, substantial, and pro-
bative evidence. Because Petitioners failed to meet the lower show-
ing required for asylum, they necessarily failed to show that they
were eligible for withholding of removal and CAT relief. See
Forgue, 401 F.3d at 1288 n.4. Accordingly, we deny the petition for
review.
PETITION DENIED.
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