Zhonghui Li v. Merrick Garland

introduction to Christianity, mostly because Li initially did not give dates when

3 asked when he became a Christian and instead stated that he was introduced to

Christianity by a friend when Li’s wife was in the hospital. Li elsewhere testified

that his wife was in the hospital in August of 1997, and that he met the introducing

friend in 1996. However, after the IJ pressed Li to provide a date for his

introduction to Christianity, Li stated that he was introduced in 1996. The IJ found

this testimony inconsistent with Li’s claim in his asylum application that he was

introduced to Christianity in August of 1997 when his wife was in the hospital.

This discrepancy, if it can be called one, is minor. Li was firm in his

testimony that he and his wife began to pray, upon a friend’s suggestion while his

wife was told in the hospital that she would not recover after a difficult pregnancy,

and that he attributed her recovery to his prayers. The confusion as to dates when

he met his friend, when his wife was in the hospital, and when he became a

Christian is immaterial, especially in the context of difficulty in interpretations

between English and Mandarin. See Damaize-Job v.…