Hajie Drammeh v. Eric Holder, Jr.

MEMORANDUM

Hajie Drammeh, a native and citizen of Sierra Leone, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ order dismissing his appeal from an immigration judge’s decision denying his application for asylum, withholding of removal, and pro tection under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”).

Substantial evidence supports the BIA’s conclusion that Drammeh failed to establish that rebels targeted him on account of a protected ground enumerated in the Immigration and Nationality Act, see 8 U.S.C. § 1101 (a)(42)(A). He did not introduce any evidence that he was targeted for his political beliefs (including political neutrality), imputed political beliefs, ethnicity, or religious beliefs. See INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 483 , 112 S.Ct. 812 , 117 L.Ed.2d 38 (1992); Pedro-Mateo v. INS, 224 F.3d 1147, 1151 (9th Cir.2000).

Drammeh is also ineligible for humanitarian asylum, see 8 C.F.R. § 1208.13 (b)(l)(iii)(A), because he failed to demonstrate past persecution on account of a protected ground. See id.; see also Sowe v. Mukasey, 538 F.3d 1281, 1287 (9th Cir.2008).

Finally, substantial evidence supports the agency’s denial of CAT relief because Drammeh failed to…