Bawa

MEMORANDUM **

Yusufu Bawa, a native and citizen of Sierra Leone, petitions for review of a final order of removal by the Board of Immigration Appeals (“Board” or “BIA”). The BIA affirmed without opinion the decision of the Immigration Judge (“IJ”), who denied Bawa’s application for asylum, withholding of removal, relief under the Convention Against Torture, and voluntary departure. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1252 , and we deny the petition.

We reject Bawa’s contention that 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1 prohibited the BIA from affirming without opinion.1 Contrary to Bawa’s argument, 8 C.F.R. § 1003 . 1 does not preclude the Board from relying on the summary affirmance procedure if the applicant raises new arguments on appeal.

Although the record certainly shows that Bawa suffered atrocities in Sierra Leone, the record does not compel the conclusion that the atrocities were committed on account of any statutorily protected ground. See 8 U.S.C. § 1158 (b)(1)(B)® (stating that an applicant for asylum “must establish that race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion was or will be at least one central reason for persecuting the…