Bolanos-Rodas
Bolanos-Rodas v. Immigration & Naturalization Service
Opinion
Lead Opinion
MEMORANDUM *
Jose Antonio Bolanos-Rodas (“Bola-nos”), a native and citizen of El Salvador, petitions for review of a decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”). The BIA dismissed his appeal from a decision of the Immigration Judge denying his application for asylum and withholding of deportation. We deny the petition.
*945 Bolanos contends that the BIA erroneously concluded that he failed to establish past persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution on account of a statutorily-protected ground. See 8 U.S.C. §§ 1101 (a)(42)(A), 1158(b). The BIA’s decision, however, may be reversed “only if the evidence ‘was so compelling that no reasonable factfinder could fail to find the requisite fear of persecution.’ ” Cruz-Navarro v. INS, 232 F.3d 1024, 1028 (9th Cir.2000) (quoting INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 483-84 , 112 S.Ct. 812 , 117 L.Ed.2d 38 (1992)). The evidence of persecution that Bolanos has presented is insufficient to compel reversal of the BIA’s decision. See Pedro-Mateo v. INS, 224 F.3d 1147, 1150 (9th Cir.2000) (stating that, in order to disturb the BIA’s decision, the evidence must not only support, but compel reversal).