United States Fourth Circuit

Petition for review of denial of applications for political asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture is denied as: 1) the IJ concluded properly concluded that petitioner was not statutorily eligible for asylum; 2) there was substantial evidence the IJ's adverse credibility finding; 3) petitioner failed to show independent evidence of past persecution; 4) the IJ offered sufficiently cogent reasons to support the adverse credibility determination; 5) petitioner's failure to establish eligibility for asylum necessarily means she cannot demonstrate eligibility for withholding of removal under the INA; and 6) substantial evidence supports denial of CAT relief based on petitioner's failure to carry her burden of proof.

Appellate Information

• Decided 07/16/2007
• Published 07/16/2007

Judges

• Before MOTZ, TRAXLER, and SHEDD, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  Clement Anyeh Tatoh, Immigration Assistance Center, Silver Spring, Maryland, for Petitioner.  George Maralan Kelley, III, Assistant United States Attorney, Office of the United States Attorney, Norfolk, Virginia, for Respondent.   ON BRIEF:  Bokwe G. Mofor, Silver Spring, Maryland, for Petitioner.  Chuck Rosenberg, United States Attorney, Alexandria, Virginia, for Respondent.