Ravinder Arora v. Eric Holder, Jr.

MEMORANDUM

Ravinder Singh Arora, Gurmeet Kaur Arora, and Rajneesh Singh Arora petition this Court for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (BIA) decision denying their asylum application. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1252 , and we grant the petition.

The Real ID Act does not apply to this petition. We review the immigration judge’s (IJ), adverse credibility finding for substantial evidence. Gui v. INS, 280 F.3d 1217, 1225 (9th Cir.2002). “The IJ must have a legitimate articulable basis to question the petitioner’s credibility, and must offer a specific, cogent reason for any stated disbelief.” Id. (internal quotation marks omitted). “Minor inconsistencies in the record that do not relate to the basis of an applicant’s alleged fear of persecution, go to the heart of the asylum claim, or reveal anything about an asylum applicant’s fear for his safety are insufficient to support an adverse credibility finding.” Mendoza Manimbao v. Ashcroft, 329 F.3d 655, 660 (9th Cir.2003).

The IJ’s adverse credibility findings as to Ravinder Singh Arora are not supported by substantial evidence. For example, the IJ found that Arora testified that he was arrested four times,…