Case Name: JING DONG ZHAO, Petitioner, v. Eric H. HOLDER, Jr., Attorney General, Respondent
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2013-05-20
Citations: 519 F. App'x 430
Docket Number: No. 11-70662
Parties: JING DONG ZHAO, Petitioner, v. Eric H. HOLDER, Jr., Attorney General, Respondent.
Judges: Before: LEAVY, THOMAS, and MURGUIA, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: West's Federal Appendix
Volume: 519
Pages: 430–431

Head Matter:
JING DONG ZHAO, Petitioner, v. Eric H. HOLDER, Jr., Attorney General, Respondent.
No. 11-70662.
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.
Submitted May 14, 2013.
Filed May 20, 2013.
Jing Dong Zhao, Los Angeles, CA, pro se.
Ashley Young Martin, U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division/Office of Immigration Litigation, Washington, DC, Chief Counsel Ice, Office of the Chief Counsel, Department of Homeland Security, San Francisco, CA, for Respondent.
Before: LEAVY, THOMAS, and MURGUIA, Circuit Judges.
The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R.App. P. 34(a)(2).

Opinion:
MEMORANDUM
Jing Dong Zhao, a native and citizen of China, petitions pro se for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals' ("BIA") order dismissing her appeal from an immigration judge's ("IJ") decision denying her application for asylum and withholding of removal. We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252. We review for substantial evidence factual findings, including adverse credibility findings, Chebchoub v. INS, 257 F.3d 1038, 1042 (9th Cir.2001), and review de novo due process claims, Liu v. Holder, 640 F.3d 918, 930 (9th Cir.2011). We deny the petition for review.
Substantial evidence supports the BIA's adverse credibility determination based on Zhao's inconsistent testimony regarding the level of government surveillance she experienced, the implausibility of her obtaining permission to travel to Europe while on bail, and her subsequent volun tary return to China. See id. at 1043 (inconsistencies about events leading up to petitioner's departure went to the heart of the claim); Singh-Kaur v. INS, 183 F.3d 1147, 1152 (9th Cir.1999); Loho v. Mukasey, 531 F.3d 1016, 1017-18 (9th Cir.2008) (applicant's voluntary returns to home country supported adverse credibility determination). Substantial evidence also supports the BIA's finding that Zhao's documents did not counteract the IJ's adverse credibility determination. See Zahedi v. INS, 222 F.3d 1157, 1165 (9th Cir.2000) (an IJ may reject documentary evidence for specific, cogent reasons that bear a legitimate nexus to that rejection). In the absence of credible testimony, Zhao's asylum and withholding of removal claims fail. See Farah v. Ashcroft, 348 F.3d 1153, 1156 (9th Cir.2003).
We reject Zhao's contention that the agency violated her due process rights by relying on the expert testimony of the forensic documents examiner. See Lata v. INS, 204 F.3d 1241, 1246 (9th Cir.2000) (requiring error to prevail on a due process claim).
PETITION FOR REVIEW DENIED.
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.