N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT SATYA DEVI NEUPANE,

Pe t i tione r,
v. M ERR IC K B
. GARLAND, Attorne y Ge ne ra l, R e sponde nt. No. 17-70316 Age n c y No. A088-472-917
M EM O R ANDUM *

On Pe tition for Re vie w of a n Orde r of the B oa rd of Im m igration Appe a ls Subm itte d

June 13, 2022 ** San Fran c isc o , C a lifornia B e fore : S.R . THOM A S and GOULD, C irc uit Judge s, a n d WU, *** Distric t Judge
.



# FIL ED JUN 15 2022 M OLLY C. DW Y E R, CLERK U. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public at ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by Ninth C irc uit R

ule 36-3.

* * The pa

ne l una nim ously c onc lude s this c a se is suita ble for de c ision without oral a

rgum e nt. Se e Fe d. R . App. P. 34(a)(2).

* * * The Honora

ble Ge orge H. W

u, Unite d Stat e s Distric t Judge for the C e ntra l Distric t of C a lifornia , sitting by de signa tion.Ne upa ne , a native and c i tiz e n of Ne pa l, pe titions for re vie w of the B oa rd of Im m i gration Appe a l s ’ (“ B IA” ) dism issa l of he r a ppe a l from

an Im m igration Judge ’ s (“ IJ” ) de nia l of he r a p plic ations for a sy lum , withholding of re m ova l, a nd
re lie f unde r the C onve ntion Aga inst Torture(“ C AT” ). W e have jurisdic tion pursua nt to 8 U.S.C . § 1252. W he re , a s he re , the B IA ha s re vie we d the IJ’ s de c ision a nd a dopte d it a s its own, we re vie w both de c isions. Molina–Estrada v

. IN S , 293 F.3d 1089, 1093 (9th C ir. 2002).

“ W e re vie w que stions of la w de novo a

nd fa c tua l de te rm inations for substa ntia l e vide nc e .” Amay a v . Garland , 15 F.4th 976, 986 (9th C ir. 2021). Adve rse c re dibility de t e rm inations a re re vie we d unde r the substa ntia l e vide nc e sta nda rd. Yali W

ang v . Se ssions , 861 F.3d 1003, 1007 (9th C ir. 2017). Substa ntia l e v i de nc e supports the a ge nc y ’ s a dve rse c re dibility de t e rm ination ba se d on inc o nsiste nc ie s be twe e n Ne upa n e ’ s te stim onia l a

nd doc um e nta

ry
e vide nc e . Se e Shre

stha v . Holde r , 590 F.3d 1034, 1047 (9th C ir. 2010) (“ [Pe titione r] ’ s ina

bility to c onsiste ntly

de sc ribe the unde rly i ng e v e n ts tha t ga ve rise to his fe ar wa s a

n im porta nt fa c tor tha

t c ould be re l ie d upon by

the IJ in
m aking a n a dve rse c re dibility

de te rm i nation.” ). The se inc onsiste nc ie s re late to the truthfulne ss of the c irc um sta nc e s surrounding Ne

u pa ne ’ s a lle ge d pe rse c ution by the g ove rnm e nt a

n d, the re fore , go to thehe art of he r c la im s for re lie f. Se e id. at
21046–47 (“Although inc onsiste nc ie s no longe r ne e d to go to the he art of the pe titione r’ s c la im , whe n a n inc onsiste nc y is a

t the he art of the c la im it doubtle ss is of gre at we ight.” ). The a ge n c y

a fforde d Ne u

pa ne an opportunity

to e xpla in the inc onsiste nc ie s but re a sona

bly found tha

t he r e xpla

nations we re unpe rsua sive
. Se e Aguilar Fe rmin
v . Barr , 958 F.3d 887, 892 (9th C ir. 2020) (c onc l uding a dve rse c re dibility de te rm i nation m

ust sta n d whe re IJ a

nd B IA ide ntifie d inc onsiste nc ie s a nd im pla usibilitie s in pe titione r’ s a c c ount, a nd pe titione r’ s e xpla

nat ions for the inc o nsiste nc i e s we re unc onvinc ing), c e rt. de n ie d , 141 S. C t. 664 (2020); C orte z -Pine d a v . Holde r , 610 F.3d 1118, 1124 (9th C ir. 2010) (e xpla i ning “ [t] he IJ did not ha ve to a c c e pt [pe titione r] ’ s unpe rsua sive e xpla nations for the [ ] inc o nsiste nc i e s” ). Give n the inc onsiste nc i e s in there c ord a nd the pe titione r’ s fa ilure to
a de quate ly

e xpla in the m , the a ge nc y ’ s a dve rse c re dibility de te rm ination is supporte d by substa

ntia l e vide nc e . Abse nt Ne upa ne ’ s disc re dite d te stim ony , the
re m a ining e vide nc e doe s not c om pe l the c onc lusion tha

t she is e l igible for a sy lum , withholding of rem o v a l, or re lie f unde r the C AT. PE T IT IO N DE NIE D.

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