Ozga
Ozga v. Gonzales
Opinion
Lead Opinion
MEMORANDUM **
Stanislaw Ozga, a native and citizen of Poland, petitions pro se for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) order summarily affirming an immigration judge’s (“IJ”) order denying his applications for asylum and withholding of removal. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 8 *707 U.S.C. § 1252 . We review adverse credibility findings for substantial evidence, Chebchoub v. INS, 257 F.3d 1038, 1042 (9th Cir.2001), and we deny in part and grant in part the petition for review.
Substantial evidence supports the IJ’s adverse credibility determination. Ozga testified he was attacked and injured by the mafia, yet he failed to mention the event in his otherwise detailed asylum application. See Alvarez-Santos v. INS, 332 F.3d 1245, 1254 (9th Cir.2003) (upholding adverse credibility finding where alien failed to mention pivotal event in asylum application). The IJ also based his decision on his observation that Ozga often paused after questions were translated and failed to answer questions directly. See Singh-Kaur v. INS, 183 F.3d 1147, 1151 (9th Cir.1999) (‘We give ‘special deference’ to a credibility determination that is based on demeanor.”).