Jatinder Singh v. Eric H. Holder Jr.

MEMORANDUM

Jatinder Singh, a native and citizen of India, seeks review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (BIA) rejection of claims for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture. We conclude that substantial evidence supports the BIA’s adverse credibility determination, and we deny the petition for review.

The BIA properly based its adverse credibility determination on “ ‘specific, cogent reasons’ ” that went “ ‘to the heart of [Singh’s] claim.’ ” Don v. Gonzales, 476 F.3d 738, 741 (9th Cir.2007) (quoting Desta v. Ashcroft, 365 F.3d 741, 745 (9th Cir.2004)). We must accept adverse credibility determinations if substantial evidence supports at least one ground identified by the BIA. See Kin v. Holder, 595 F.3d 1050, 1055 (9th Cir.2010). We conclude that substantial evidence supports the following two grounds relied on by the BIA for its adverse credibility determination.

First, Singh’s unpersuasive demeanor before the immigration judge (IJ) is substantial evidence for the adverse credibility finding. The IJ observed that Singh’s testimony seemed memorized, and that Singh took long pauses when asked to explain discrepancies in his…