1st Circuit Rejects Religious Persecution Claim By Chinese Woman Seeking Asylum

In Weng v. Holder, (1st Cir., Jan. 27, 2010), the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a decision by the Board of Immigration Appeal denying asylum, withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against Torture to a native and citizen of China who claimed she has and in the future will likely face religious persecution. Jin Weng is an adherent of Zun Wang, a banned religion in China. An immigration judge had found Weng's testimony to be inconsistent with her earlier statements to immigration officials after she illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico. At that time, she did not mention religion but said she was fleeing China and feared returning there because of poverty and other nonreligious reasons. The judge rejected additional testimony by her at her immigration hearing regarding her religious persecution in China because he found her not to be a credible witness. Yesterday's National Examiner reports on the decision.