Qiang Chen v. Eric H. Holder Jr.

MEMORANDUM

Qiang Chen, a native and citizen of China, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order dismissing his appeal from an immigration judge’s decision denying his application for asylum and withholding of removal. We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252 . We review for substantial evidence, Li v. Holder, 559 F.3d 1096, 1102 (9th Cir.2009), and we deny the petition for review.

Substantial evidence supports the agency’s adverse credibility determination based upon the omission from his asylum application and declaration of the tip Chen received that the police were investigating his family, see Li v. Ashcroft, 378 F.3d 959, 962-64 (9th Cir.2004) (omissions and inconsistencies that go to the heart of the petitioner’s claim support an adverse credibility finding), and his failure to provide reasonable explanations for the omission, see Rivera v. Mukasey, 508 F.3d 1271, 1275 (9th Cir.2007). Substantial evidence also supports the agency’s adverse credibility determination based on Chen’s vague testimony regarding his Christian practices in the United States. See Mejia-Paiz v. INS, 111 F.3d 720 , 724 (9th Cir.1997) (vague testimony regarding…