Jose Santos Quintanilla-Ticas, Yolanda Leticia Chavez-Quintanilla, Rina Edith Quintanilla-Chavez v. Immigration & Naturalization Service

Petitioners Jose Quintanilla-Ticas, his wife Yolanda Chavez-Quintanilla, and their daughter Rina Quintanilla-Chavez, nationals of El Salvador, lived in that country until 1980, when they fled to the United States. In 1982 the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) commenced deportation proceedings based on their illegal entry. Petitioners conceded deportability but applied for asylum and withholding of deportation. The Immigration Judge denied their application, and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) affirmed. Petitioners appeal the denial of their application for asylum. We affirm.

Petitioners are eligible for a discretionary grant of asylum if they show a “well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion....” 8 U.S.C. §§ 1101 (a)(42)(A), 1158(a). Petitioners are entitled to withholding of deportation under 8 U.S.C. § 1253 (h) if they show a “clear probability” of persecution. Immigration & Naturalization Service v. Stevie, 467 U.S. 407 , 104 S.Ct. 2489, 2492 , 81 L.Ed.2d 321 (1984); Bolanos-Hemandez v. Immigration & Naturalization Service, 767 F.2d 1277, 1281 (9th Cir.1985). The…