Raj Patel

Correspondent

Raj Patel

Breaking news correspondent, covers late-night developments and emergency rulings.

Immigration & Government

Decisions covered by Raj Patel

478 decisions
May 1 2026
5th Cir. 26-30203 Panel Decision

State of Louisiana, by & through its Attorney General, Liz Murrill; Rosalie Markezich v. Food & Drug Administration; Marty Makary; Richard Pazdur

The Fifth Circuit granted Louisiana's motion to stay the FDA's 2023 regulation allowing remote dispensing of mifepristone. The court held that the agency's admission of failing to study remote dispensing safety created irreparable harm that outweighed the public interest in maintaining the rule.

Civil Environmental (Civil)
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May 1 2026
United States Court… 24-5294 Panel Decision

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and Center for Environmental Health v. Lee M. Zeldin, as Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and...

The D.C. Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a citizen suit under the Toxic Substances Control Act because the plaintiff organizations failed to establish associational standing. The court held that the organizations could not represent their employees or supporters as members under Article III requirements.

Civil Labor Standing
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May 1 2026
9th Cir. 20-73290 Unpublished

ORLANDO REYES-NAVARRO, ET AL V. TODD BLANCHE

The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals order dismissing claims for asylum and withholding of removal. The court held that violence inflicted on the petitioners' family members was insufficient to establish past persecution and that the petitioners failed to prove they could not safely relocate within Mexico.

Civil Immigration (Civil)
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May 1 2026
9th Cir. 22-1818 Unpublished

GONZALEZ GONZALEZ V. BLANCHE

The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals decision rejecting asylum and related relief for a Mexican national with mental health challenges. The court affirmed the denial because the petitioner failed to exhaust administrative remedies on several claims and lacked substantial evidence proving a unique risk of persecution distinct from other mentally disabled individuals in Mexico.

Civil Immigration (Civil)
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May 1 2026
9th Cir. 17-72351 Unpublished

EMILIA FUENTES AYALA V. TODD BLANCHE

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the denial of asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture relief for a Mexican national targeted by a gang. The court held that the petitioner failed to prove a causal link between the harm she suffered and a protected ground, as the gang's motivation was property theft rather than persecution based on neutrality or family status.

Civil Immigration (Civil)
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May 1 2026
9th Cir. 25-1827 Unpublished

Alvarado-Romero v. Blanche

The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of a Board of Immigration Appeals decision dismissing an immigrant's claims for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture. The court affirmed the denial of cancellation of removal, finding substantial evidence supported the agency's conclusion that the petitioner's family would not suffer exceptional hardship.

Civil Forfeiture / Penalty Immigration (Civil)
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Apr 30 2026
Fed. Cir. 26-1199 Panel Decision

Smiler v. SSA

The Federal Circuit transferred an appeal involving federal employment discrimination to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania because district courts hold exclusive jurisdiction over such claims. The court relied on the prohibition against bifurcating discrimination allegations from other employment actions.

Civil Social Security
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Apr 30 2026
5th Cir. 25-60500 Per Curiam

GIS Holdings, L.L.C., (Avondale Operations); The Gray Insurance Company v. Director, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, United States Department of Labor; Walter B. Crews...

The Fifth Circuit affirmed the Benefits Review Board's award of permanent total disability benefits to a longshoreman, finding substantial evidence supported the lower tribunal's conclusion that the worker reached maximum medical improvement and could not return to the workforce. The court rejected the employer's arguments regarding alternative employment and job retraining, noting the employer failed to meet its burden of proof and forfeited the retraining argument.

Civil Social Security
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Apr 30 2026
9th Cir. 25-3331 Unpublished

Zamora Flores, Et Al. v. Blanche

The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of a BIA order denying asylum and protection under the Convention Against Torture. The court held that substantial evidence supported the Agency's finding that the petitioner's abuse was motivated by her abuser's drug use rather than a protected ground.

Civil Immigration (Civil)
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Apr 30 2026
4th Cir. 25-1558 Per Curiam

ESTER NOEMI VASQUEZ-CONTRERAS v. TODD BLANCHE, Acting Attorney General

The Fourth Circuit denied a petition for review of an immigration judge's denial of asylum and withholding of removal, ruling that substantial evidence supported the agency's finding that the petitioner failed to prove a nexus between her claimed social group and the persecution. The court affirmed that not every threat referencing a protected group is made on account of that group, emphasizing the need to prove the persecutor's specific reasons for targeting the individual.

Civil Immigration (Civil)
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