The following excerpt is from Mendoza Perez v. U.S. I.N.S., 902 F.2d 760 (9th Cir. 1990):
Other circuits have been chary of according too much weight to an alien's own statements, for the obvious reason that they tend to be self-serving. See, e.g., Gumbol, 815 F.2d at 412 (defining the permissible parameters under which an alien's "own unsubstantiated testimony" will be accepted); Carvajal-Munoz v. INS, 743 F.2d 562, 577 (7th Cir.1984) (permitting alien's statements only under certain circumstances).
The above passage should not be considered legal advice. Reliable answers to complex legal questions require comprehensive research memos. To learn more visit www.alexi.com.