Case: 19-11594 Date Filed: 04/29/2020 Page: 1 of 17 [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT ________________________ No. 19-11594 Non-Argument Calendar ________________________ Agency No. A209-082-297 SAMUEL BOATENG, Petitioner, versus U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL, Respondent. ________________________ Petition for Review of a Decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals ________________________ (April 29, 2020) Before JILL PRYOR, BRANCH and FAY, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM: Case: 19-11594 Date Filed: 04/29/2020 Page: 2 of 17 Samuel Boateng, a native and citizen of Ghana, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) decision. In its decision, the BIA affirmed the immigration judge’s (“IJ”) denial of Boateng’s application for asylum, withholding of removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”), and humanitarian asylum. After careful consideration, we deny his petition. I. BACKGROUND Boateng entered the United States in Laredo, Texas, without valid entry documents. He was detained by border patrol agents and later participated in a credible fear interview. In his interview, Boateng reported that that he feared returning to Ghana because he was subject to persecution there due to his Christian faith. He stated that Muslim members of his community threatened, beat, and stabbed him in an attempt to force his conversion to Islam. He said that the attackers used harsh language. He indicated that he spoke English and Asante Twi. The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) served Boateng with a notice to appear (“NTA”), charging him as removable as an applicant for admission without a valid entry document. See 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(7)(A)(i)(I). At a hearing, Boateng conceded his removability. Boateng filed an application for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (“CAT”), asserting persecution based on 2 Case: 19-11594 Date Filed: 04/29/2020 Page: 3 of 17 his religious beliefs. 8 C.F.R. § 1208.16(c). 1 In his application, Boateng checked a box indicating that he was not fluent in English, but he wrote that he was fluent in both Twi and English. He claimed that Muslim members of his community wanted him to convert to Islam, and they threatened to kill him and stabbed him with knives when he would not convert. He claimed that he would be killed if forced to return to Ghana because he wanted to practice his religion, Christianity, freely. At his initial merits hearing, Boateng, acting pro se, testified through an interpreter. He told the IJ that he did not speak English; however, he would often interrupt the interpreter and respond in English. The IJ noted that Boateng was fluent in English but instructed that Boateng needed to wait for the interpreter to speak “because [he] requested an interpreter.” AR. at 677.2 Boateng testified that after his mother passed away, he lived with his stepfather. His stepfather would not permit him to practice Christianity and attempted to force him to convert to Islam. In response to the IJ’s question why Boateng did not leave his stepfather’s home ...
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