Tawfik Kasim v. Eric Holder, Jr. , 383 F. App'x 441 ( 2010 )


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  •      Case: 09-60458     Document: 00511150189          Page: 1    Date Filed: 06/22/2010
    IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT  United States Court of Appeals
    Fifth Circuit
    FILED
    June 22, 2010
    No. 09-60458
    Summary Calendar                         Lyle W. Cayce
    Clerk
    TAWFIK MUTAHAR ABDULLA KASIM, also known as Tawfik Mutahar A.
    Kassim,
    Petitioner
    v.
    ERIC H. HOLDER, JR., U. S. ATTORNEY GENERAL,
    Respondent
    Petition for Review of an Order of the
    Board of Immigration Appeals
    BIA No. A095 263 218
    Before GARZA, CLEMENT, and OWEN, Circuit Judges.
    PER CURIAM:*
    Tawfik Mutahar Abdulla Kasim, a native and citizen of Yemen, seeks
    review of a decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) dismissing his
    appeal from the immigration judge’s (IJ) denial of his requests for immigration
    relief. Kasim contends that he was denied the effective assistance of counsel
    during his initial immigration hearing because his attorney failed to develop his
    *
    Pursuant to 5TH CIR . R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not
    be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR .
    R. 47.5.4.
    Case: 09-60458   Document: 00511150189 Page: 2       Date Filed: 06/22/2010
    No. 09-60458
    allegation of persecution by the Yemeni Government and effectively waived his
    claim for immigration relief on that basis. He also challenges as not supported
    by substantial evidence, the BIA’s determination that he was not entitled to
    asylum or withholding of removal based on his claim of government persecution.
    This court lacks jurisdiction to directly consider Kasim’s claim of
    ineffective assistance of counsel because he did not properly raise the issue
    before the BIA. See Wang v. Ashcroft, 
    260 F.3d 448
    , 452 (5th Cir. 2001). Kasim
    has not shown that the BIA abused its discretion in declining to remand his case
    to the IJ for consideration of that claim. See Goonsuwan v. Ashcroft, 
    252 F.3d 383
    , 384-91 (5th Cir. 2001); Ogbemudia v. INS, 
    988 F.2d 595
    , 599-600 (5th Cir.
    1993). Finally, the BIA’s determination that Kasim was not persecuted by the
    Yemeni Government is supported by substantial evidence. See Tesfamichael v.
    Gonzales, 
    469 F.3d 109
    , 116 (5th Cir. 2006); Eduard v. Ashcroft, 
    379 F.3d 182
    ,
    188 (5th Cir. 2004); Abdel-Masieh v. INS, 
    73 F.3d 579
    , 584 (5th Cir. 1996).
    The petition for review is DENIED.
    2