Ana Canales-Estrada v. Eric H. Holder Jr.

MEMORANDUM

Ana Carolina Canales-Estrada and Tati-ana Canales-Estrada, natives and citizens of Honduras, petition for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order dismissing their appeal from an immigration judge’s decision denying their applications for asylum and withholding of removal. We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . We review for substantial evidence, Zehatye v. Gonzales, 453 F.3d 1182, 1184-85 (9th Cir.2006), and deny the petition for review.

Contrary to petitioners’ contention, the BIA did not question their credibility, instead finding that even if petitioners identified a cognizable social group of young Christian women who oppose losing their virginity and/or Christian values and consequently refuse to acquiesce to sexual advances of gang members, the evidence did not support their assertion that gang members targeted them on this basis. Substantial evidence supports that finding. See INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478 , 481 n. 1, 112 S.Ct. 812 , 117 L.Ed.2d 38 (1992) (to reverse the agency’s finding “we must find that the evidence not only supports that conclusion, but compels it”) (emphasis in original). Accordingly, petitioners’ asylum and…