Jose Adalberto Perlera-Escobar, A/K/A Santos Tirso Rodrigues v. Executive Office for Immigration, and Immigration and Naturalization Service

Petitioner, Jose Adalberto Perlera-Esco-bar, appeals the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) denial of his application for asylum and withholding of deportation under sections 208(a) and 243(h) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (the “Act”), 8 U.S.C. §§ 1158(a) and 1253(h) (1982) respectively. The BIA concluded that although Escobar had shown a genuine fear of persecution if returned to El Salvador, that persecution was not on account of a political opinion held by Escobar. Having failed to meet the statutory requirements under section 208(a) and section 101(a)(42) of the Act, Escobar…