Desta v. INS

UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 98-2078 ELIZABETH DESTA, Petitioner, versus U.S. IMMIGRATION & NATURALIZATION SERVICE, Respondent. On Petition for Review of an Order of the Board of Immigration Appeals. (A74-638-996) Submitted: May 18, 1999 Decided: May 27, 1999 Before MURNAGHAN and HAMILTON, Circuit Judges, and HALL, Senior Circuit Judge. Affirmed by unpublished per curiam opinion. Rev. Uduak J. Ubom, UBOM, WHITE & ROBERTS, Washington, D.C., for Petitioner. David W. Ogden, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, Michelle Gluck, Senior Litigation Counsel, Mary Jane Candaux, Office of Immigration Litigation, UNITED STATES DE- PARTMENT OF JUSTICE, Washington, D.C., for Respondent. Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. See Local Rule 36(c). PER CURIAM: Elizabeth Desta seeks a review of the decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals (Board) denying relief on her application for asylum and withholding of deportation. The Board’s determination that Desta is not eligible for asylum must be upheld if the determination is “supported by reasonable, substantial, and pro- bative evidence on the record considered as a whole.” 8 U.S.C. § 1105a(a)(4) (1994). The decision may be reversed only if the evidence presented by Desta was such that a reasonable fact finder would have to conclude that the requisite persecution or fear of persecution existed. See INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 481 (1992). The Board concluded Desta failed to meet her burden of proving she was persecuted on account of protected grounds. Our review of the record discloses that the Board’s decision is based upon substantial evidence and is without reversible error. Because Desta failed to show entitlement to asylum, she cannot meet the higher standard for withholding deportation. See INS v. Cardoza- Fonseca, 480 U.S. 421, 430-32 (1987). Accordingly, we affirm on the reasoning of the Board. We dis- pense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the court and argument would not aid the decisional process. AFFIRMED 2