Opinion ID: 3015242
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The BIA’s Review of the IJ’s Decision

Text: Kamara argues that the BIA violated his due process right to meaningful review by engaging in a cursory evaluation of the IJ’s evidentiary findings and legal conclusions, and by issuing an inadequate opinion. Specifically, he contends that the BIA’s opinion consisted of only six paragraphs, with no adequate analysis or discussion, and that it relied on an irrelevant section of the IJ’s written decision having nothing to do with the CAT claim. Aliens facing removal are entitled to due process. See Sewak v. INS, 900 F.2d 667, 671 (3d Cir. 1990). In the administrative context, an alien: “(1) is entitled to factfinding based on a record produced before the decisionmaker and disclosed to him or her, (2) must be allowed to make arguments 5 Indeed, if the REAL ID Act imposed a narrower standard of review than that previously offered under a petition for habeas corpus, a significant Suspension Clause issue would arise. 12 on his or her own behalf . . .; and (3) has the right to an individualized determination of his [or her] interests.” Abdulai v. Ashcroft, 239 F.3d 542, 549 (3d Cir. 2001) (internal quotations and citations omitted). Kamara does not contend that the decision to remove him was based on evidence kept secret from him or that he was prevented from making his case to the BIA or IJ. Thus, the only due process right potentially implicated in this case is the right to an individualized determination. As stated in Abdulai, “the question for due process purposes is not whether the BIA reached the correct decision; rather it is simply whether the Board made an individualized determination of [the alien’s] interest. . . .” 239 F.3d at 550 (emphasis in original). The Board’s decision need only provide “sufficient indicia” that such a determination was made. Id. (“[o]ne can deduce that the BIA was aware that Abdulai was a Nigerian seeking asylum on the basis of political persecution, that there had been issues involving a change in the Nigerian government and his failure to document his membership in a political party, and that the IJ’s decision evinced dissatisfaction with his meeting the requisite burden of proof. This is sufficient.”). Agency action is entitled to a presumption of regularity, and it is the petitioner’s burden to show that the BIA did not review the record when it considered the appeal. Id. at 550-51. The BIA’s decision in the present case contains more than “sufficient indicia” that it undertook an individualized determination. It describes in detail the CAT petition submitted by Kamara, the procedural posture of the case, the basis for the IJ’s decision, and the relevant statutes and regulations. We find no support for Kamara’s contention that the BIA erroneously relied on the IJ’s statement, made in a section of the IJ’s decision discussing Kamara’s withholding of removal claim, that “it cannot be found to be more likely than not that [Kamara] would find himself in the RUF’s hands. . . .” J.A. at 34. Despite the fact that a claim for relief under the CAT and a petition for withholding of removal require different elements of proof, the 13 chance of falling into the RUF’s hands is the same regardless of which claim the BIA is evaluating.6 We also find that the BIA’s decision satisfies the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act. As stated in SEC v. Chenery Corp., 332 U.S. 194, 196 (1947), an agency need only set forth the basis of its administrative action “with such clarity as to be understandable”; it need not provide a detailed statement of its reasoning and conclusions. See also Aguirre-Aguirre, 526 U.S. at 431-32; S. Trenton Residents Against 20 v. Fed. Highway Admin., 176 F.3d 658, 666 (3d Cir. 1999) (stating that court may uphold agency’s “‘decision of less than ideal clarity if the agency’s path may reasonably be discerned’”) (quoting Bowman Transp., Inc. v. Arkansas-Best Freight Sys., Inc., 419 U.S. 281, 286 (1974)). Thus, whereas the BIA’s decision in the present case may not be a model of exposition, it sufficiently sets forth the BIA’s reasoning in a manner that permits a reviewing court to discern the “basis of its decision.” Dominguez v. Ashcroft, 336 F.3d 678, 680 (8th Cir. 2003). We therefore conclude that because the requirements of both Abdulai and Chenery are satisfied, Kamara’s due process claim must fail.7 6 Indeed, in a section of the IJ’s opinion devoted solely to a discussion of Kamara’s CAT petition, the IJ stated that “it is impossible to speculate with any accuracy the likelihood of RUF’s gaining control of enough of Sierra Leone to make [Kamara] fall into its hands. . . .” J.A. at 28. 7 Kamara’s reliance on Zubeda v. Ashcroft, 333 F.3d 463 (3d Cir. 2003), is misplaced. In Zubeda, we vacated and remanded the BIA’s decision denying petitioner relief under the CAT, noting that the BIA’s “rather terse” decision provided only a “minimal analysis” of petitioner’s claim. Id. at 475-79. Zubeda, however involved a direct petition for review, where we examined the BIA’s decision under the substantial evidence standard. Id. at 471. By contrast, our review is much narrower in the present case. See REAL I.D. Act § 106(a)(1)(A)(iii). Furthermore, although noting 14