Gao v. Gonzales
Second Circuit
440 F.3d 62 (2006)
Relevant factsFree
Gao (plaintiff), a Chinese citizen, was sold into marriage by her parents at age 19 under a locally accepted and legally enforceable practice in her region of China, and fled to the United States rather than marry the man to whom she'd been sold, applying for asylum and withholding of removal; the immigration judge denied her applications, and the Board of Immigration Appeals affirmed, prompting her petition for review.
IssueFree
Whether a woman facing forced marriage under a socially accepted and legally enforceable practice in her home country faces persecution on account of membership in a particular social group under the Immigration and Nationality Act.