[DO NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FILED
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
________________________ ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
MAY 16, 2007
No. 06-14776 THOMAS K. KAHN
Non-Argument Calendar CLERK
________________________
BIA No. A79-425-420
KUJTIM KOLAMI,
Petitioner,
versus
U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL,
Respondent.
________________________
Petition for Review of a Decision of the
Board of Immigration Appeals
_________________________
(May 16, 2007)
Before TJOFLAT, BLACK and BARKETT, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
Kujtim Kolami, a citizen and native of Albania, petitions this Court for
review of a final order of the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) adopting and
affirming the Immigration Judge’s (“IJ”) decision denying asylum and withholding
of removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”), INA § 208, 8
U.S.C. § 1231.1
The IJ found that Kolami left Albania for economic reasons, not because of
persecution. The BIA further concluded that Kolami was unable to show a nexus
between the collective negative conduct he alleged and any protected ground. In
his appellate brief, Kolami argues only that the IJ and BIA erred in finding that the
conduct was not sufficiently severe as to constitute persecution. Thus, Kolami has
abandoned the issue of whether he left Albania due to persecution on account of
his political opinion, as opposed to having left for economic reasons. See
Sepulveda v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 401 F.3d 1226, 1228 n.2 (11th Cir. 2005). Because
Kolami has abandoned this issue on appeal, we do not review it, and accordingly
must deny his petition.
PETITION DENIED.
1
Kolami also claimed Convention Against Torture (“CAT”) relief before the IJ, but did
not appeal the denial of CAT relief to the BIA and, accordingly, does not raise the issue now.
2