CA1: Petition for review of Colombian asylum-seeker granted
Bonilla v. Mukasey, No. 07-1813. The petitioner is a Colombian. FARC was giving him a hard time. So he moved to Venezuela, where he got a “permanent resident” stamp. Then he went back to Columbia. The IJ concluded that he was “firmly resettled” in Venezuela, and therefore he had “firmly resettled” there. See 8 U.S.C. § 1158(b)(2)(A)(vi); 8 C.F.R. § 208.15. He claims that he didn't really have permission to resettle in Venezuela, because the stamp expired, and he never really lived there. The First says that the evidence is ambiguous – because renewal of the stamp might be just an administrative thing -- and the government bears the burden of showing resettlement. So, the First remands.
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