PUBLISHED
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
JIAN TAO LIN,
Petitioner,
v.
No. 09-1269
ERIC H. HOLDER, JR., Attorney
General,
Respondent.
On Petition for Review of an Order of
the Board of Immigration Appeals.
Argued: May 11, 2010
Decided: July 12, 2010
Before MOTZ, KING, and DUNCAN, Circuit Judges.
Petition for review granted; vacated and remanded by pub-
lished opinion. Judge King wrote the opinion, in which Judge
Motz and Judge Duncan joined.
COUNSEL
ARGUED: Joshua E. Bardavid, LAW OFFICE OF JOSHUA
BARDAVID, New York, New York, for Petitioner. Todd J.
Cochran, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
Washington, D.C., for Respondent. ON BRIEF: Tony West,
Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, John S. Hogan,
2 LIN v. HOLDER
Senior Litigation Counsel, UNITED STATES DEPART-
MENT OF JUSTICE, Washington, D.C., for Respondent.
OPINION
KING, Circuit Judge:
Jian Tao Lin petitions for review of the February 2009 final
order of the Board of Immigration Appeals (the "BIA")
affirming the denial of his application for asylum, withhold-
ing of removal, and protection under the United Nations Con-
vention Against Torture (the "BIA Decision"). Lin’s primary
contention is that an adverse credibility determination, made
against him by an Immigration Judge (the "IJ") and ratified by
the BIA, was erroneously predicated on facts derived from
another applicant’s unrelated case. As explained below, we
grant the petition for review, vacate the BIA Decision, and
remand.
I.
A.
Lin and his wife, Xue Yun Zheng ("Zheng"), are from
China’s Fujian Province, "a place where the one-child policy
has been enforced with special vigor — a reputation that per-
sists still today. Local officials in Fujian Province have
employed unspecified measures to deal with out-of-plan preg-
nancies, and, notwithstanding a purported national policy to
the contrary, forced sterilization and abortion are prevalent in
rural areas." Li Fang Lin v. Mukasey, 517 F.3d 685, 688 (4th
Cir. 2008) (alteration, citation, and internal quotation marks
omitted). Based on his having run afoul of China’s one-child
policy, Lin has sought asylum, withholding of removal, and
protection under the Convention Against Torture (the
"CAT").
LIN v. HOLDER 3
As detailed in Lin’s application and testimony before the IJ,
the couple’s first child (a girl) was born in December 1997,
when Lin was twenty years old and Zheng was nineteen.
Because the legal age for marriage in China is twenty-two for
men and twenty for women, the couple was not married at the
time of their daughter’s birth, rendering it unauthorized. To
prevent the authorities’ discovery of this unauthorized birth,
Lin and Zheng sent the infant to be raised by Lin’s older sis-
ter. Thereafter, upon Lin reaching marital age in 1999, the
couple obtained a marriage permit and, in August 2000, their
second child (a boy) was born. After their son’s birth, Zheng
was required to wear an intrauterine device (an "IUD") and
report for quarterly examinations so the authorities could
ensure that the IUD was in place and she was not pregnant.
During such an examination in March 2001, it was discov-
ered that — notwithstanding the IUD and unbeknownst to the
couple — Zheng was again pregnant, prompting the authori-
ties to subject her to a forced abortion. Lin testified that he
learned of the abortion when Zheng returned home following
the procedure and that he "was very angry" because, like his
wife, he wanted more children. See J.A. 127.1 Subsequently,
in March 2002, the village officials learned of the couple’s
daughter and threatened Lin and Zheng with sterilization. Lin
explained that the authorities planned to seize him and his
wife from their home to effect this sterilization. Having been
warned of the plan, however, the couple was able to flee
before the authorities arrived. Following this incident, Lin’s
family was required to pay an "[e]xcessive births fee" of
10,000 Renminbi ("RMB") so that the daughter could be
listed on the household registry. See id. at 199.
While Lin remained in hiding in China, his wife Zheng fled
to the United States in the summer of 2002. A few months
later, Zheng applied in New York for asylum, withholding of
1
Citations herein to "J.A. __" refer to the Joint Appendix filed by the
parties in this matter.
4 LIN v. HOLDER
removal, and CAT protection based on the foregoing events.
In October 2003, a New York IJ denied Zheng’s application
on adverse credibility grounds. In 2005, the BIA affirmed the
New York IJ’s decision in a per curiam, one-line order, and
thereafter denied Zheng’s motion to reopen the proceedings.
In the interim, Lin likewise fled to the United States, leav-
ing the couple’s two children with relatives in China. On
November 5, 2003, Lin called Ren Ji Zheng ("Ren Zheng"),
a relative who lived in New York City, and requested that Ren
Zheng meet Lin the next day at Confucius Plaza in New York
City. During the phone call, Lin explained that he was in Can-
ada but would be in New York by the next afternoon. Follow-
ing Lin and his wife Zheng’s reunification in New York, she
became pregnant with the couple’s third child. On November
21, 2004, Zheng gave birth to another daughter, an American
citizen.
B.
1.
In the meantime, at an IJ hearing in New York on Novem-
ber 5, 2004, Lin conceded removability but sought relief
through asylum, withholding of removal, and the CAT.2 In
support of his application, Lin submitted affidavits from him-
self and Ren Zheng; documentation of his children, identity,
and marriage; evidence supporting his claims of past persecu-
tion; and an expert’s affidavit detailing China’s extremely
coercive population control measures (the "Aird Affidavit").
2
Aliens such as Lin are permitted to use a single form, entitled "Appli-
cation for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal," to request three sep-
arate types of immigration relief: asylum, withholding of removal, and
CAT protection. See 8 C.F.R. § 208.3; see also J.A. 178 (Lin’s original
application). It is unclear when Lin filed his application, but it is undis-
puted that, at the latest, he filed it by November 5, 2004. See J.A. 56
(explaining, in IJ decision, that application was completed by Lin in June
2004, and signed by asylum officer in August 2004).
LIN v. HOLDER 5
For example, Lin submitted Notarial Birth Certificates for his
Chinese-born children. These certificates include pictures of
the children, provide the dates and places of their births, and
identify Lin and Zheng as their parents. Lin also provided
seal-bearing hospital birth certificates for the children. More-
over, he proffered a seal-bearing Household Registry Booklet
containing household registration forms issued on September
23, 2000, for his son, and October 14, 2002, for his daughter.
Additionally, Lin submitted the "Receipt of Collecting
Beyond Plan Birth Fee" — the receipt for the 10,000 RMB
"[e]xcessive births fee" associated with his daughter — also
issued on October 14, 2002. See J.A. 199. Further documenta-
tion included the official marriage registration for Lin and
Zheng, as well as their resident identity cards.
Notably, Lin also submitted Zheng’s "Child-Bearing-Age
Woman Examination Certificate" booklet from the MinHou
County Family Planning Committee. See J.A. 193. The book-
let explained that a "[c]hildbearing woman who meets the ring
and pregnant checkup requirement [is] issued this certificate."
Id. at 197. Among the "[i]mportant things for childbearing
women" specified in the booklet is that "[t]hose who have
beyond-planned birth must immediately use supplementary
measures and state the date of abortions in the handling result
column." Id. According to the booklet, after Zheng gave birth
to her son in China in August 2000, she underwent the
"[h]andling result" of having an IUD inserted in October
2000. Id. at 194. The booklet also detailed, inter alia, that,
after discovering that Zheng was pregnant in March 2001, the
"[h]andlers" "[i]nduced abortion" and, in April 2001, inserted
a new IUD. Id. at 195. In further corroboration of these
events, Lin submitted various seal-bearing operation certifi-
cates from FuZhou City hospitals detailing the March 2001
abortion and the October 2000 and April 2001 IUD insertions.
Additionally, Lin submitted documentation from Zheng’s
American doctors substantiating the removal of her IUD and
6 LIN v. HOLDER
subsequent pregnancy, including her anticipated delivery date
of November 29, 2004.3
2.
Following the initial IJ hearing in New York, Lin’s removal
proceedings were transferred to Maryland as a consequence of
Lin and Zheng’s move to that state. On November 2, 2006,
the IJ conducted Lin’s merits hearing, at which Lin and Ren
Zheng, the relative who had collected him in New York, testi-
fied. In its cross-examination of Lin, the Government sought
to impeach him through his wife’s testimony at her own IJ
hearing regarding post-abortion events. According to the Gov-
ernment, Lin’s wife stated that upon leaving the hospital after
her forced abortion, she went to her mother’s house, where
she remained for twenty days. Specifically, the Government
declared:
Now this is what your wife testified to in her hear-
ing. She was asked, "After you left the hospital
where did you go?" She answered, "I went to my
mother[’s]." And she was asked, "How long did you
stay there?" And she answered, "About 20 days."
Then she was asked, "Where did you go after that?"
And she answered, "And then my mother-in-law
made a phone call to me and told me that my son had
a fever and I went home." Now you’ve testified that
you saw your wife at your house the day after she
had her abortion. After she was released from the
clinic, from the hospital and this was the same day.
And you also indicated that between the time that
she left the hospital and the time that you saw her at
your house she didn’t go anywhere else. Can you
3
At his merits hearing in November 2006, Lin filed a revised application
reflecting the birth of his third child on November 21, 2004. Prior to this
revision, he had supplemented his original application with evidence of
that child’s birth, including, for example, her New York birth certificate.
LIN v. HOLDER 7
explain why this is different than what your wife has
stated?
J.A. 132. In response to this convoluted inquiry, Lin specu-
lated that Zheng was "probably too nervous and she make
mistake." Id. at 133.
In the IJ merits hearing, the Government also advanced the
proposition that Lin’s claims were barred, either by issue pre-
clusion or res judicata, because his wife’s claims (involving
identical supporting facts) had been denied. Accordingly, as
its evidence, the Government submitted the IJ and BIA deci-
sions resolving Zheng’s application, as well as a State Depart-
ment report on China.4 At the conclusion of Lin’s merits
hearing, the IJ ordered the Government to brief whether res
judicata and issue preclusion were applicable in this situation;
the IJ also authorized Lin’s counsel to file a response brief to
the Government’s submission. Finally, the IJ scheduled
another hearing for March 22, 2007, when he would render
his decision.
Thereafter, the Government submitted a written statement
disclaiming the applicability of res judicata (without mention-
ing issue preclusion), but nevertheless urging the IJ to deny
Lin’s application. More specifically, while emphasizing that
Zheng’s asylum application had been denied because she was
deemed incredible, the Government contended that Lin was
also incredible because of the apparent inconsistency between
his and his wife’s testimony regarding post-abortion events.
The Government also suggested that denial of Lin’s applica-
tion was proper because "[t]he record does not appear to con-
tain an affidavit from [Lin’s] mother." J.A. 289. In response,
Lin contended that the Government’s assertions were unsup-
ported by the record. For example, he maintained that a state-
ment from his mother was irrelevant since there was no
4
The Government has never introduced a transcript of Zheng’s testi-
mony.
8 LIN v. HOLDER
indication that she had personal knowledge of his wife’s cir-
cumstances. Lin also objected to the Government’s reliance
on Zheng’s testimony, as no transcript of her IJ hearing had
been placed in evidence.
At the March 2007 hearing, the IJ declined to render a deci-
sion on Lin’s case, given the Government’s withdrawal of its
res judicata and issue preclusion contentions. Instead, the IJ
scheduled a new hearing for July 16, 2007. At that hearing,
the IJ orally denied Lin’s application, ruling that Lin had
failed to prove that his asylum application was timely and that
the adverse credibility of Lin (and his wife) undercut his
claims for withholding of removal and CAT protection.
In deeming Lin incredible, however, the IJ mistakenly
relied on a written closing statement submitted by the Gov-
ernment in the unrelated case of an applicant named De Hua
Liu (the "Liu statement"). See J.A. 282.5 Indeed, the IJ predi-
cated several of his "findings" on factual arguments contained
in the unrelated and misfiled Liu statement. These "findings"
(collectively, the "unrelated Liu evidence") include, inter alia,
that
• Lin did not submit corroborative evidence dem-
onstrating that his wife was subject to a forced
IUD insertion in 1993;
• Lin did not corroborate his wife’s pre-1996
alleged abortion and subsequent IUD insertion;
• Lin did not submit corroboration of his wife’s
medical assessment visits between the 1993 IUD
insertion and the 1996 IUD removal;
5
Although it is unclear how the unrelated Liu statement was erroneously
introduced into Lin’s case, the Government acknowledged at oral argu-
ment in this matter that it must have originated with the Government.
LIN v. HOLDER 9
• Lin did not know where his wife went to have her
IUD removed in 1996;
• Lin did not know the name of the friend who
accompanied his wife to the 1996 IUD removal;
and
• Lin did not submit medical documentation cor-
roborating the pain suffered by his wife after an
abortion.
The IJ further observed that Lin had failed to offer corrobora-
tion from his mother and spouse and determined that Lin’s
explanation of the apparently inconsistent testimony regarding
Zheng’s post-abortion whereabouts was unsatisfactory. Id. at
57-58.6 Accordingly, by his oral decision of July 16, 2007, the
IJ denied Lin’s application for asylum, withholding of
removal, and CAT protection.
3.
On July 19, 2007, Lin appealed the IJ’s decision to the
BIA. In so doing, he primarily asserted that "this decision
revolves around facts that are not contained anywhere in this
record" and that, as such, the IJ’s adverse credibility determi-
nation was based on clearly erroneous findings of fact. J.A.
6
In the unrelated Liu statement, the Government had argued that Liu
failed to produce five categories of objective documentation (including
medical corroboration of IUD procedures in 1993 and 1996 and abortions
in 1993 and 1997); emphasized the presence of an unauthenticated medi-
cal document demonstrating the existence of Liu’s wife’s IUD after Liu
entered America; and asserted a lack of credibility, correlated to Liu’s lack
of knowledge of the details surrounding his wife’s IUD removal in 1996
and his failure to present medical certification of treatment his wife
received after an alleged abortion. See J.A. 282. Conversely, the Govern-
ment asserted that Lin was not credible because his testimony contradicted
his wife’s testimony in her merits hearing and because he failed to provide
corroborative evidence, namely "an affidavit from the Respondent’s
mother." Id. at 289.
10 LIN v. HOLDER
16. Lin also maintained that he qualified for relief on the basis
of, inter alia, the threatened sterilization of both him and his
wife, as well as China’s pattern of beating and detaining repa-
triated citizens. Furthermore, he objected to the IJ’s conclu-
sion that the claimed discrepancy between his testimony and
that of his wife, who had been adjudged incredible, rendered
his testimony likewise incredible. Finally, Lin challenged the
IJ’s finding that his asylum application was untimely.
On February 10, 2009, the BIA Decision denied Lin’s
appeal. First, the BIA upheld the IJ’s finding that Lin failed
to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that he filed
his asylum application within one year of arriving in the
United States. The BIA then concluded that, "[c]onsidering
the factors cumulatively that the [IJ] relied on in finding [Lin]
not credible, we do not consider his adverse credibility find-
ing to be clearly erroneous." J.A. 3. In support of this determi-
nation, the BIA emphasized the evident discrepancy between
Lin’s and his wife Zheng’s testimony, the IJ’s finding that
Lin’s testimony concerning the circumstances of the forced
abortion was vague, and Lin’s failure to produce Zheng as a
witness.7 The BIA also faulted Lin for failing to produce any
statement from his mother and explained that the IJ relied
upon the lack of medical documentation — with the exception
of an unauthenticated abortion certificate — in finding Lin to
be incredible.8 Finally, the BIA Decision observed that Lin
had failed to "persuade" the BIA that the IJ erred in denying
him CAT protection. Id. at 4. Notably, however, the BIA
Decision failed to address Lin’s contention that the IJ had
erred by relying on the unrelated Liu evidence. Indeed, the
BIA Decision itself relied on the unrelated Liu evidence, such
7
Contrary to the BIA’s description of the IJ’s findings, the IJ actually
found (based on the unrelated Liu statement) that the evidence concerning
a 1996 IUD removal — not an abortion — was vague. See J.A. 57.
8
The BIA Decision also observed that even if Lin had established that
Zheng was subject to a forced abortion, he failed to demonstrate that he
was a refugee.
LIN v. HOLDER 11
as the assertedly vague testimony and lack of documentation,
in upholding the IJ’s adverse credibility determination.
Lin has filed a timely petition for review, and we possess
jurisdiction pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1252.
II.
Where, as here, the BIA has adopted and supplemented the
IJ’s decision, we review both rulings. See Cervantes v.
Holder, 597 F.3d 229, 232 (4th Cir. 2010); see also
Kourouma v. Holder, 588 F.3d 234, 239-40 (4th Cir. 2009)
("When the BIA and [IJ] both issue decisions in a case, we
review both decisions upon appeal."). In assessing an alien’s
petition for review, we are obliged to uphold a final order of
removal unless the BIA’s determination is "‘manifestly con-
trary to the law and an abuse of discretion.’" Ngarurih v. Ash-
croft, 371 F.3d 182, 188 (4th Cir. 2004) (quoting 8 U.S.C.
§ 1252(b)(4)(D)). The BIA "abuses its discretion when it fails
to offer a reasoned explanation for its decision, [or] distorts
or disregards important aspects of the alien’s claim." Hussain
v. Gonzales, 477 F.3d 153, 155 (4th Cir. 2007) (internal quo-
tation marks omitted). The BIA’s asylum eligibility and with-
holding of removal decisions "are deemed conclusive if
supported by reasonable, substantial and probative evidence
on the record considered as a whole." Abdel-Rahman v. Gon-
zales, 493 F.3d 444, 448 (4th Cir. 2007) (internal quotation
marks omitted).
In other words, "[w]e review the BIA’s administrative find-
ings of fact under the substantial evidence rule, and we are
obliged to treat them as conclusive unless the evidence before
the BIA was such that any reasonable adjudicator would have
been compelled to conclude to the contrary." Haoua v. Gon-
zales, 472 F.3d 227, 231 (4th Cir. 2007). As such, we "defer
to credibility findings that are supported by substantial evi-
dence." Camara v. Ashcroft, 378 F.3d 361, 367 (4th Cir.
2004). "This deference is broad but not absolute: an IJ who
12 LIN v. HOLDER
rejects a witnesses’s positive testimony because in his or her
judgment it lacks credibility should offer a specific, cogent
reason for his or her disbelief." Anim v. Mukasey, 535 F.3d
243, 252 (4th Cir. 2008) (alteration and internal quotation
marks omitted). Moreover, if the IJ determines that an appli-
cant’s testimony is incredible, he must nevertheless evaluate
the applicant’s independent evidence. Id.
III.
In analyzing Lin’s petition for review, we first examine the
eligibility criteria for the relief he seeks. With this background
in mind, we then consider Lin’s contention that the BIA and
the IJ (collectively, the "agency") erred in predicating Lin’s
adverse credibility determination on the unrelated Liu evi-
dence. Finally, we dispose of the Government’s assertion that,
notwithstanding the primacy of the unrelated Liu evidence in
the adverse credibility determination, the agency properly
denied Lin’s application.
A.
Subject to two exceptions not relevant here, an asylum
application must be filed within one year of an applicant’s
arrival in the United States, and the agency’s determination of
whether the applicant has provided clear and convincing evi-
dence of a timely filing is unreviewable. See 8 U.S.C.
§ 1158(a)(2)(B), (a)(3). Accordingly, because Lin’s asylum
claim was found to be untimely, only his withholding of
removal and CAT claims are before us in this proceeding.
Nevertheless, a proper understanding of the criteria for asy-
lum is essential because the agency denied Lin’s other claims
on the premise that, were the application timely, the asylum
claim would fail on credibility grounds.
To establish eligibility for asylum, an applicant is obliged
to demonstrate either past persecution or a well-founded fear
of future persecution "on account of race, religion, nationality,
LIN v. HOLDER 13
membership in a particular social group, or political opinion."
8 C.F.R. § 208.13(b)(1). An individual can, without corrobo-
ration, satisfy this standard simply by presenting credible tes-
timony about specific facts that would cause a similarly
situated person to likewise fear persecution. Id. § 208.13(a);
see Kourouma v. Holder, 588 F.3d 234, 240 (4th Cir. 2009).
Moreover, an applicant who establishes past persecution is
presumed to have a well-founded fear of future persecution
based on the same claim. 8 C.F.R. § 208.13(b)(1).
To qualify for withholding of removal, an applicant must
establish that, if removed, a "clear probability" exists that his
freedom or life would be threatened on account of a protected
ground. Marynenka v. Holder, 592 F.3d 594, 600 (4th Cir.
2010). Unlike asylum, withholding of removal is a mandatory
protection for anyone whose "life or freedom would be threat-
ened . . . because of the alien’s race, religion, nationality,
membership in a particular social group, or political opinion."
8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(3)(A). A forced abortion or sterilization
— or persecution for refusing to undergo such a procedure or
for other resistance to coercive population control programs
— is deemed by statute to constitute persecution for political
opinion. See id. § 1101(a)(42) (defining "refugee"); see also
Chen v. INS, 195 F.3d 198, 202 (4th Cir. 1999).
Whereas both asylum and withholding of removal require
an applicant’s fear of persecution to be based on an enumer-
ated ground, protection under the CAT is available for those
who can prove that, whatever the motivation, it is "more
likely than not that he or she would be tortured if removed to
the proposed country of removal." Camara v. Ashcroft, 378
F.3d 361, 371 (4th Cir. 2004) (internal quotation marks omit-
ted). As there is no subjective component to CAT eligibility,
an asylum seeker’s adverse credibility determination is not
fatal to a CAT claim if the applicant provides independent
evidence demonstrating that it is more likely than not that he
would be tortured upon return to his country. Id. at 371-72.
14 LIN v. HOLDER
Finally, although an applicant’s credible testimony can
establish eligibility for relief, "corroboration may be required
when it is reasonable to expect such proof and there is no rea-
sonable explanation for its absence." Lin-Jian v. Gonzales,
489 F.3d 182, 191-92 (4th Cir. 2007). Nevertheless, the IJ
"may not rely on speculation, conjecture, or an otherwise
unsupported personal opinion to discredit an applicant’s testi-
mony or [his] corroborating evidence." Marynenka, 592 F.3d
at 601 (internal quotation marks omitted).
With these legal principles in mind, we turn to the parties’
contentions in this matter.
B.
1.
Lin’s primary assertion is that the adverse credibility deter-
mination made by the IJ and affirmed by the BIA was errone-
ously — and fatally — predicated on the unrelated Liu
evidence. More specifically, Lin contends that most of the
delineated deficiencies were derived, nearly verbatim, from
the unrelated Liu statement, which inexplicably had become
part of Lin’s file. Indeed, the Government concedes that the
agency erred in "rel[ying] upon an incorrect document . . .
that does not pertain to Lin," namely the unrelated Liu state-
ment, and "in faulting Lin for failing to corroborate claims
that did not apply to his case." Br. of Resp’t 26, 27.
We agree that the agency so erred. Predicating an adverse
credibility determination on unrelated facts derived from
another case is manifestly contrary to law and constitutes an
abuse of discretion. See Hussain v. Gonzales, 477 F.3d 153,
155 (4th Cir. 2007) (explaining that BIA "abuses its discretion
when it . . . distorts or disregards important aspects of the
alien’s claim" (internal quotation marks omitted)); see also
Nken v. Holder, 585 F.3d 818, 822-23 (4th Cir. 2009) (con-
cluding that BIA order erroneously failed to demonstrate
LIN v. HOLDER 15
proper consideration of applicant’s evidence); Chen v. INS,
359 F.3d 121, 127 (2d Cir. 2004) (recognizing error occurs
"where the agency’s determination is based on an inaccurate
perception of the record"). Put simply, in making a credibility
finding, the agency is obliged to understand the pertinent facts
and not be confused by unrelated, prejudicial material. Any-
thing less is simply unacceptable, for
[t]hose who flee persecution and seek refuge under
our laws have the right to know that the evidence
they present of mistreatment in their home country
will be fairly considered and weighed by those who
decide their fate.
Baharon v. Holder, 588 F.3d 228, 233 (4th Cir. 2009).9
2.
Notwithstanding the agency’s error with respect to the
unrelated Liu evidence, the Government seeks to salvage the
BIA Decision, contending that we are yet entitled to deny the
petition. More specifically, the Government maintains that
"even if the Board misconstrued evidence," that error is "irrel-
evant" because Lin failed to present sufficient corroborative
evidence, particularly a statement "from his mother-in-law,"
and because "the Board’s decision focused on Lin’s failure to
timely file his application for asylum and Lin’s credibility."
Br. of Resp’t 25-27.10 In essence, the Government makes a
9
In this regard, we note that the agency failed to consider Lin’s claim
of feared future persecution and similarly failed to evaluate the evidence
he actually proffered. See Nken, 585 F.3d at 823 (remanding "because it
is not apparent from the BIA order that it considered the crux of [petition-
er’s] argument"); Camara, 378 F.3d at 371 (remanding because "the IJ
erroneously overlooked Camara’s other evidence in denying her applica-
tion").
10
Before our Court, the Government seeks to recast the agency’s find-
ings, theorizing that the agency "clearly meant to state ‘her mother’ and
16 LIN v. HOLDER
harmless error assertion. See Ngarurih v. Ashcroft, 371 F.3d
182, 190 n.8 (4th Cir. 2004).
Put simply, we are compelled to reject the harmlessness
contention. To begin with, it cannot be said that the agency’s
error in considering the unrelated Liu evidence "clearly had
no bearing on the procedure used or the substance of the deci-
sion reached." Ngarurih, 371 F.3d at 190 n.8 (explaining
harmless error criteria). Moreover, the Government’s harm-
less error assertion lacks merit because the adverse credibility
determination is not "supported by reasonable, substantial and
probative evidence on the record considered as a whole."
Abdel-Rahman v. Gonzales, 493 F.3d 444, 448 (4th Cir. 2007)
(internal quotation marks omitted). First, the overwhelming
basis for the agency’s adverse credibility finding was the "in-
correct document" — the unrelated Liu statement — "that
does not pertain to Lin." Br. of Resp’t 26. For example, the
BIA Decision relied on a lack of medical documentation and
Lin’s "vague" testimony, both attributable solely to the unre-
lated Liu statement and not to Lin.11 Second, the lack of cor-
not ‘his mother’ when discussing Lin’s failure to produce any documenta-
tion to support his claim." Br. of Resp’t 25 n.6. We, of course, are obliged
to review what the agency said rather than hypothesizing over what it
meant to say. See Nken, 585 F.3d at 822. Even were this not so, though,
we would reject the Government’s novel assertion. In short, the record
reflects that the agency meant to say what it said, as the Government’s
questions and written statement before the IJ referred explicitly to Lin’s
mother. See J.A. 289 (observing that "[t]he record does not appear to con-
tain an affidavit from the Respondent’s mother"); see also id. at 133 (ask-
ing Lin whether "you ask[ed] your mother to submit a statement").
11
Even had the lack of documentation and unauthenticated certificate
been properly attributable to Lin, they would not sustain the adverse credi-
bility finding because the IJ never offered Lin an opportunity to explain
the lack of evidence or to authenticate the certificate. See Lin-Jian, 489
F.3d at 192 (explaining that "[t]he requirement that the applicant provide
a reasonable explanation for the lack of corroborating evidence presumes
that the IJ offers a petitioner an opportunity to explain the absence" and
that "Lin ought to have been given an opportunity to authenticate these
documents" (internal quotation marks omitted)).
LIN v. HOLDER 17
roboration from Lin’s mother is, as the Government now
concedes, irrelevant. See id. at 25-26 n.6 ("There was no testi-
mony in the record regarding any involvement by Lin’s
mother in the post-abortion events.").
Third, the lack of corroboration from Lin’s wife Zheng —
i.e., her failure to be a witness at Lin’s IJ hearing — was inex-
tricably intertwined with the unrelated Liu evidence, with the
IJ specifically connecting the significance of her absence
thereto. See J.A. 57-58 (linking Zheng’s absence to 1996 IUD
removal and 1993 abortion and IUD insertion). Without this
erroneous perception of the record, it is far from clear that the
agency would have found Zheng’s failure to be a witness
problematic. See Lin-Jian, 489 F.3d at 191 (explaining that
"[i]t is not clear whether the IJ would have [rejected the
claim]" absent a mistaken factual finding); see also Anim v.
Mukasey, 535 F.3d 243, 261 (4th Cir. 2008) (explaining that
"it is likely that the IJ would have reached a different outcome
if he had given due consideration to the independent evidence
that he discounted because of the [erroneous] finding of
fraud"). Moreover, given that Zheng had been deemed incred-
ible by her IJ (and thus was likely to have been disbelieved),
and that she was under a final order of removal (and thus sub-
ject to deportation and arrest), we have reservations concern-
ing the agency’s observation that her absence was not
reasonably explained, as well as its implicit assumption that
she was an available witness. See 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(4) (pro-
viding that court can overturn determination as to availability
of corroborating evidence if reasonable factfinder would be
compelled to conclude it is unavailable).
Fourth, the purported "material discrepancy" between Lin’s
and Zheng’s testimony — namely the Government’s proposi-
tion that Zheng testified to going to her mother’s house for
twenty days following the abortion and Lin testified to seeing
her at home after the abortion — is simply nonexistent. And,
of course, illusory inconsistencies do not lend support to an
adverse credibility finding. See Zuh v. Mukasey, 547 F.3d
18 LIN v. HOLDER
504, 508 (4th Cir. 2008). As an initial matter, the excerpts the
Government recited at Lin’s hearing merely indicate that after
one hospital visit, Zheng went to her mother’s house for
twenty days. See J.A. 132 (stating that Zheng answered "After
you left the hospital where did you go?" with "I went to my
mother[’s]"). Because Lin’s exhibits include documentation
of five Chinese hospital procedures — two IUD insertions,
two births, and one abortion — any association of her testi-
mony with the abortion is necessarily speculative and thus an
insufficient basis for an adverse credibility finding. See Lin-
Jian, 489 F.3d at 189 (noting that although "[i]nconsistent
statements, contradictory evidence, and inherently improbable
testimony" constitute cogent reasons for an adverse credibility
finding, "speculation, conjecture, or an otherwise unsupported
personal opinion" do not (internal quotation marks omitted)).
Moreover, the record actually reveals that Lin and Zheng
testified consistently about her post-abortion whereabouts.
The IJ decision resolving Zheng’s application — which the
Government submitted as evidence in Lin’s case — states that
Zheng testified to returning home after the abortion and to
going to her mother’s at a later date, after the IUD insertion.
See J.A. 575 (explaining that Zheng testified that she "went
home after the abortion procedure" and "after the insertion of
the new IUD . . . . [she] fled to her mother’s"). Furthermore,
both the seal-bearing medical certificates and the "Child-
Bearing-Age Woman Examination Certificate" reflect that the
abortion occurred in March 2001 and a new IUD was inserted
a month later, in April 2001. Therefore, the purported "mate-
rial discrepancy" identified by the agency does not exist and
cannot justify an adverse credibility finding. See Zuh, 547
F.3d at 508. Consequently, the adverse credibility finding
made with respect to Lin is not supported by substantial evi-
dence. Thus, we must reject the Government’s harmless error
assertion and remand.12
12
Finally, the BIA Decision’s conclusory assertion that Lin also failed
to demonstrate that he was a refugee does not obviate the necessity of
LIN v. HOLDER 19
IV.
Pursuant to the foregoing, we grant the petition for review,
vacate the BIA Decision, and remand for further proceedings
consistent with this opinion.
PETITION FOR REVIEW GRANTED;
VACATED AND REMANDED
remand. First, there is no indication that the BIA considered Lin’s evi-
dence, including the materials documenting his multiple children and the
Aird Affidavit, in making this determination. See Mengistu v. Ashcroft,
355 F.3d 1044, 1047 (7th Cir. 2004) ("[A]s we tirelessly repeat, an agency
opinion that fails to build a rational bridge between the record and the
agency’s legal conclusion cannot survive judicial review." (citation omit-
ted)). Second, absent the adverse credibility determination, Lin’s testi-
mony regarding his opposition to China’s coercive population measures
and the officials’ threat of sterilization could satisfy the eligibility test by
demonstrating that — rather than being complicit therein — he actually
opposed the forced abortion and threatened sterilization of his wife, not to
mention his own threatened sterilization. See Matter of J-S-, 24 I&N Dec.
520 (A.G. 2008) (overturning longstanding per se spousal eligibility rule).