Walter Omar Hernandez- Villalta v. ERIC H. HOLDER, Jr., Attorney General

This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent*
except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.
The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision**
without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).
NOT FOR PUBLICATION
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
WALTER OMAR HERNANDEZ-
VILLALTA,
Petitioner,
v.
ERIC H. HOLDER, Jr., Attorney General,
Respondent.
No. 09-71417
Agency No. A099-653-384
MEMORANDUM*
On Petition for Review of an Order of the
Board of Immigration Appeals
Submitted January 17, 2012**
Before: LEAVY, TALLMAN, and CALLAHAN, Circuit Judges.
Walter Omar Hernandez-Villalta, a native and citizen of El Salvador,
petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ order dismissing his
appeal from an immigration judge’s decision denying his application for asylum
FILED
JAN 24 2012
MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
U .S. C OU R T OF APPE ALS

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09-71417 2
and withholding of removal. We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C. § 1252. We
review for substantial evidence the agency’s factual findings, applying the new
standards governing adverse credibility determinations created by the REAL ID
Act, Shrestha v. Holder, 590 F.3d 1034, 1039-40 (9th Cir. 2010), and we deny the
petition for review.
Substantial evidence supports the agency’s adverse credibility determination
because Hernandez-Villalta made no mention of his political party volunteer work
in his asylum application, see Husyev v. Mukasey, 528 F.3d 1172, 1183 (9th Cir.
2008), and Hernandez-Villalta also failed to provide any corroboration of his
political activities, see Mejia-Paiz v. INS, 111 F.3d 720, 723-24 (9th Cir. 1997).
Hernandez-Villalta’s explanations for the discrepancies do not compel a contrary
conclusion. See Rivera v. Mukasey, 508 F.3d 1271, 1275 (9th Cir. 2007). In the
absence of credible testimony, Hernandez-Villalta’s asylum and withholding of
removal claims fail. See Farah v. Ashcroft, 348 F.3d 1153, 1156 (9th Cir. 2003).
PETITION FOR REVIEW DENIED.

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