Carlos Molina-Morales v. Immigration and Naturalization Service

Opinion by Judge TASHIMA; Dissent by Judge BETTY B. FLETCHER.

TASHIMA, Circuit Judge:

Carlos Molina-Morales (“Molina”), a native and citizen of El Salvador, petitions for review of an order of the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”), affirming an Immigration Judge’s (“U”) decision, denying him both asylum and withholding of deportation. The BIA held that Molina had not established that he was persecuted *1049on account of any statutorily-protected ground. We have jurisdiction under § 106(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”), 8 U.S.C. § 1105a(a)(l), “as it was codified prior to the…