10th Circuit Refuses To Bar Deportation of Mormon To Colombia

In Terreros-Guarin v. Holder, (10th Cir., Dec. 2, 2009), the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a Colombian man's attempt to avoid deportation. Francisco Alberto Terreros-Guarin was an early convert to the Mormon Church in Colombia, and served in high-profile roles in the Church. He claimed, among other grounds for asylum and for a stay of his deportation, that because the Mormon Church is identified with the United States, several Mormon Churches in Colombia have been bombed and he has received threats. The court rejected his asylum claim because it was not filed within a year of entering the country. As to his request for a restriction on his removal, the Court agreed with the Board of Immigration Appeal that Terreros-Guarin had not proven that there was a clear probability of persecution on religious grounds if he was returned to Colombia. Yesterday's Mormon Times reported on the decision.