Does a criminal conviction for a drug offence constitute a grounds for denial of asylum?

Seven convictions over seven years--even seven misdemeanors--easily furnish a rational basis for the Attorney General's exercise of discretion. The Attorney General is not obliged to shelter people from despotic persecution abroad so that they may enjoy lawful imprisonment in the United States. Other courts have recognized that drug-related convictions are grounds for denial of asylum. E.g. Mahini v. INS, 779 F.2d 1419, 1420-21 (9th Cir.1986) (upholding INS decision to deport alien to Iran because of drug-related conviction despite fear of persecution).