Lin Jian Weng v. Holder ( 2010 )


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  •     09-0083-ag
    Weng v. Holder
    BIA
    Weisel, IJ
    A029 795 078
    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.
    At a stated term of the United States Court of Appeals
    for the Second Circuit, held at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan
    United States Courthouse, 500 Pearl Street, in the City of
    New York, on the 30 th day of July, two thousand ten.
    PRESENT:
    REENA RAGGI,
    RICHARD C. WESLEY,
    GERARD E. LYNCH,
    Circuit Judges.
    _______________________________________
    LIN JIAN WENG, a.k.a. LIN JIAN FENG,
    Petitioner,
    v.                                    09-0083-ag
    NAC
    ERIC H. HOLDER, Jr., U.S. ATTORNEY
    GENERAL, 1
    Respondent.
    _______________________________________
    FOR PETITIONER:                David Z. Su, Monterey Park,
    California.
    1
    Pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure
    43(c)(2), Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., is
    automatically substituted for former Attorney General
    Michael B. Mukasey as respondent in this case.
    FOR RESPONDENT:         Tony West, Assistant Attorney
    General, Anthony P. Nicastro, Senior
    Litigation Counsel, Joanna L.
    Watson, Trial Attorney, Office of
    Immigration Litigation, Civil
    Division, United States Department
    of Justice, Washington, D.C.
    UPON DUE CONSIDERATION of this petition for review of a
    decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”), it is
    hereby ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that the petition for
    review is DENIED in part and DISMISSED in part.
    Petitioner Lin Jian Weng, a native and citizen of the
    People’s Republic of China, seeks review of a December 10,
    2008, order of the BIA affirming the April 4, 2007, decision
    of Immigration Judge (“IJ”) Robert Weisel, denying his
    application for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief
    under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”).     In re Weng,
    No. A029 795 078 (B.I.A. Dec. 10, 2008), aff’g No. A029 795
    078 (Immig. Ct. N.Y. City Apr. 4, 2007).   We assume the
    parties’ familiarity with the underlying facts and
    procedural history of the case.
    Under the circumstances of this case, we review the
    IJ’s decision as modified by the BIA decision.     See Xue Hong
    Yang v. U.S. Dep’t of Justice, 
    426 F.3d 520
    , 522 (2d Cir.
    2005).   The applicable standards of review are well
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    established.   See 
    8 U.S.C. § 1252
    (b)(4)(B); Yanqin Weng v.
    Holder, 
    562 F.3d 510
    , 513 (2d Cir. 2009).
    Because Weng waived any challenge to the IJ’s finding
    that he failed to establish past persecution, he was not
    entitled to a presumption of a well-founded fear of future
    persecution.   
    8 C.F.R. § 1208.13
    (b)(1).      Absent past
    persecution, an applicant may establish eligibility for
    asylum by showing that he subjectively fears persecution on
    account of an enumerated ground and that his fear is
    objectively reasonable.   See Ramsameachire v. Ashcroft, 
    357 F.3d 169
    , 178 (2d Cir. 2004).       The BIA did not err in
    finding that Weng failed to establish a well-founded fear of
    persecution based on either: (1) his physical altercation
    with family planning officials over twenty years ago; or (2)
    the birth of his two U.S. citizen children.       See Corovic v.
    Mukasey, 
    519 F.3d 90
    , 95 (2d Cir. 2008).
    With regard to Weng’s claim based on his physical
    altercation with family planning officials, as the BIA
    found, the record is devoid of any evidence indicating that
    Chinese officials would seek out petitioner.       Weng does not
    dispute that finding, waiving any such argument.       See
    Yueqing Zhang v. Gonzales, 
    426 F.3d 540
    , 541 n.1, 545 n.7
    3
    (2d Cir. 2005).   Thus, we will not disturb the BIA’s
    decision in this respect.
    Furthermore, the BIA reasonably found that Weng failed
    to demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution based on
    the birth of his two U.S. citizen children.   As the BIA
    observed, the evidence Weng submitted was similar to, but
    less extensive than, that addressed in Matter of J-W-S-, 
    24 I. & N. Dec. 185
     (BIA 2007).   We have previously reviewed,
    and found no error in, the BIA’s analysis in that case.
    Jian Hui Shao v. Mukasey, 
    546 F.3d 138
     (2d Cir. 2008).
    Moreover, contrary to Weng’s argument, the IJ reasonably
    discounted Weng’s testimony concerning the alleged forced
    sterilization of a “fellow villager.”   See 
    id. at 160
    (holding that BIA reasonably concluded that conclusory
    “unattributed ‘reports’” do not, by themselves, demonstrate
    reasonable possibility of future persecution).
    Accordingly, the record supports the agency’s
    determination that Weng was not eligible for asylum.
    
    8 U.S.C. § 1252
    (b)(4)(B); see Corovic, 
    519 F.3d at 95
    .     We
    lack jurisdiction to consider Weng’s unexhausted challenge
    to the IJ’s denial of his request for withholding of removal
    and CAT relief and dismiss the petition for review to that
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    extent.   See 
    8 U.S.C. § 1252
    (d)(1).
    For the foregoing reasons, the petition for review is
    DENIED in part and DISMISSED in part.   As we have completed
    our review, any stay of removal that the Court previously
    granted in this petition is VACATED, and any pending motion
    for a stay of removal in this petition is DISMISSED as moot.
    Any pending request for oral argument in this petition is
    DENIED in accordance with Federal Rule of Appellate
    Procedure 34(a)(2), and Second Circuit Local Rule 34.1(b).
    FOR THE COURT:
    Catherine O’Hagan Wolfe, Clerk
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