Molina
Molina v. Immigration & Naturalization Service
Opinion
Lead Opinion
MEMORANDUM
Molina petitions for review of a decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals (Board) denying her relief from deportation. The Board exercised jurisdiction pursuant to 8 C.F.R. § 3.1 (b). Because Molina’s deportation proceedings commenced before April 1, 1997, and a final order of deportation was entered after October 30, 1996, we have jurisdiction over her petition pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1105a, as amended by section 309(c) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. See Pedro-Mateo v. INS, 224 F.3d 1147, 1149 (9th Cir.2000). We deny the petition.
Molina contends that the Board erred in denying her application for asylum and withholding of deportation. We review the Board’s factual determinations, including its determination of an applicant’s eligibility for asylum, for substantial evidence. INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 481 , 112 S.Ct. 812 , 117 L.Ed.2d 38 (1992). The substantial evidence standard is highly deferential to the Board, and for us to overturn the Board’s decision, Molina must show that the evidence compels reversal. Pedro-Mateo, 224 F.3d at 1150 , citing Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. at 481 n. 1, 112 S.Ct. 812 .