Krasniqi v. Holder , 363 F. App'x 118 ( 2010 )


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  •          09-0131-ag
    Krasniqi v. Holder
    BIA
    Ferris, IJ
    A098 772 002
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT
    SUMMARY ORDER
    RULINGS BY SUMMARY ORDER DO NOT HAVE PRECEDENTIAL EFFECT. CITATION TO A SUMMARY ORDER
    FILED ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2007, IS PERMITTED AND IS GOVERNED BY FEDERAL RULE OF
    APPELLATE PROCEDURE 32.1 AND THIS COURT’S LOCAL RULE 32.1.1. WHEN CITING A SUMMARY ORDER
    IN A DOCUMENT FILED WITH THIS COURT, A PARTY MUST CITE EITHER THE FEDERAL APPENDIX OR AN
    ELECTRONIC DATABASE (WITH THE NOTATION “SUMMARY ORDER”). A PARTY CITING A SUMMARY ORDER
    MUST SERVE A COPY OF IT ON ANY PARTY NOT REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL.
    1            At a stated term of the United States Court of Appeals
    2       for the Second Circuit, held at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan
    3       United States Courthouse, 500 Pearl Street, in the City of
    4       New York, on the 1 st day of February, two thousand ten.
    5
    6       PRESENT:
    7                            DENNIS JACOBS,
    8                                 Chief Judge,
    9                            ROGER J. MINER,
    10                            GERARD E. LYNCH,
    11                                Circuit Judges.
    12
    13       _______________________________________
    14
    15       GJELIL KRASNIQI,
    16                Petitioner,
    17
    18                             v.                               09-0131-ag
    19                                                              NAC
    20       ERIC H. HOLDER, JR., UNITED STATES
    21       ATTORNEY GENERAL,
    22                Respondent.
    23       _______________________________________
    24
    25
    26
    27
    28
    29
    30
    1   FOR PETITIONER:        Joshua E. Bardavid, New York, New
    2                          York.
    3
    4   FOR RESPONDENT:        Tony West, Assistant Attorney
    5                          General, Civil Division; Carl H.
    6                          McIntyre, Jr., Assistant Director;
    7                          Kate D. Balaban, Trial Attorney,
    8                          Office of Immigration Litigation,
    9                          United States Department of Justice,
    10                          Washington, D.C.
    11
    12       UPON DUE CONSIDERATION of this petition for review of a
    13   Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) decision, it is hereby
    14   ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED, that the petition for review
    15   is DENIED.
    16       Gjelil Krasniqi, a native and citizen of Serbia, seeks
    17   review of a December 15, 2008 order of the BIA, affirming
    18   the September 24, 2007 decision of Immigration Judge (“IJ”)
    19   Noel Ferris, which denied his application for asylum,
    20   withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention
    21   Against Torture (“CAT”).   In re Gjelil Krasniqi, No. A098
    22   772 002 (B.I.A. Dec. 15, 2008), aff’g No.   A098 772 002
    23   (Immig. Ct. N.Y. City Sept. 24, 2007).   We assume the
    24   parties’ familiarity with the underlying facts and
    25   procedural history in this case.
    26       Under the circumstances of this case, we review both
    27   the BIA’s and the IJ’s decisions.   See Yun-Zui Guan v.
    28   Gonzales, 
    432 F.3d 391
    , 394 (2d Cir. 2005) (per curiam).
    2
    1    The applicable standards of review are well-settled.        8
    2    U.S.C.
    3    § 1252(b)(4)(B); see also Corovic v. Mukasey, 
    519 F.3d 90
    ,
    4    95 (2d Cir. 2008).
    5        Substantial evidence supports the agency’s adverse
    6    credibility determination.     The IJ reasonably noted that,
    7    although Krasiniqi claimed to understand the interpreter,
    8    his testimony was “confused,” and throughout his hearing, he
    9    failed to answer questions directly or coherently.        We defer
    10   to the IJ’s assessment of Krasniqi’s demeanor.     See Majidi
    11   v. Gonzales, 
    430 F.3d 77
    , 81 n.1 (2d Cir. 2005).     In
    12   addition, the IJ highlighted several discrepancies present
    13   in the record, including an inconsistency as to the date on
    14   which Krasniqi’s cousin was allegedly murdered and the
    15   omission of an alleged persecutory event from Krasniqi’s
    16   asylum application.     The IJ reasonably found that these
    17   material discrepancies undermined Krasniqi’s credibility.
    18   See, e.g., Dong v. Ashcroft, 
    406 F.3d 110
     (2d Cir. 2005)
    19   (per curiam).     Moreover, no reasonable fact-finder would
    20   have been compelled to accept Krasniqi’s explanations that
    21   these discrepancies were a mere oversight or an error on the
    22   part of others.     See Majidi, 
    430 F.3d at 81
    .
    3
    1        Ultimately, because the only evidence of a threat to
    2    Krasniqi’s life or freedom depended upon his credibility,
    3    the adverse credibility determination in this case
    4    necessarily precludes success on his claim for asylum,
    5    withholding of removal and CAT relief.    See Paul v.
    6    Gonzales, 
    444 F.3d 148
    , 156 (2d Cir. 2006); see also Wu Biao
    7    Chen v. I.N.S., 
    344 F.3d 272
    , 275-76 (2d Cir. 2003) (per
    8    curiam).
    9        For the foregoing reasons, the petition for review is
    10   DENIED.    As we have completed our review, any stay of
    11   removal that the Court previously granted in this petition
    12   is VACATED, and any pending motion for a stay of removal in
    13   this petition is DISMISSED as moot. Any pending request for
    14   oral argument in this petition is DENIED in accordance with
    15   Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34(a)(2), and Second
    16   Circuit Local Rule 34(b).
    17                                FOR THE COURT:
    18                                Catherine O’Hagan Wolfe, Clerk
    19
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