United States Seventh Circuit

Petition for review of denial of application for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture is granted where the IJ inappropriately denied petitioner's application because of a lack of corroborating evidence without first making an explicit credibility finding or explaining whether it was reasonable to expect her to provide corroboration given the recent history of political upheaval in Congo.

Appellate Information

• Argued 11/09/2006
• Decided 12/11/2006
• Published 12/11/2006

Judges

• EVANS, Circuit Judge., Before MANION, ROVNER, and EVANS, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Seventh Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• David O. Lehman (argued), Chicago, IL, for Petitioner.


• For Appellees:
  
• Karen Lundgren, Department of Homeland Security Office of the Chief Counsel, Chicago, IL, Daniel Steele (argued), Department of Justice Environment & Natural Resources Division, Washington, D.C., Genevieve Holm, Department of Justice Civil Division, Immigration Litigation, Washington, DC, for Respondent.