Ernesto Carnalla-Munoz, and Wife, Teodora Reza De Carnalla v. United States Immigration and Naturalization Service

Ernesto Carnalla-Munoz and Teodora Reza de Carnalla, his wife, seek review of an order of the Board of Immigration Appeals (Board) dismissing their appeal from a decision by an immigration judge denying suspension of deportation under 8 U.S.C. § 1254 (a)(1). We affirm.

I. Factual Background

Petitioners are natives and citizens of Mexico. They entered the United States without inspection in 1970. They have eleven children, nine of whom live with them in Whittier, California. One of the children has gained permanent resident status since deportation proceedings were initiated against petitioners in 1978. The wife has one brother who is a permanent United States resident. The rest of their families are in Mexico.

Ernesto works as a packer, earning approximately $250 per week. Teodora earns $30 to $80 per week as a seamstress, and two of the children contribute to the support of the family, including one son, now 31, who earns about $200 per week. Petitioners are buying a home, for which they paid $26,000. Ernesto indicated that if he had to sell his home he would get more for it than he paid.

Ernesto has group medical insurance through his union which would be lost if he were…