Case Explained: SINGH, ET AL. V. BLANCHE

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Filed: 2026-07-07

The ninth-circuit granted the petition for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (BIA) decision denying Gurjeet Singh’s motion to reopen immigration proceedings as untimely. The court applied the abuse of discretion standard under 8 U.S.C. § 1252, reviewing whether the BIA acted arbitrarily, irrationally, or contrary to law. While the court affirmed the BIA’s valid disregard of documentary evidence that failed to establish a material change in country conditions, it held that the BIA erred by categorizing threats and attacks against Singh’s family in India in 2025 as merely “personal circumstances” rather than “changed country conditions.” Citing Ninth Circuit precedent, the court determined that these events were outside Singh’s control and constituted a material change in country conditions sufficient to bypass the standard 90-day filing deadline under 8 U.S.C. § 1229a(c)(7)(C)(ii). Consequently, the petition is granted, and the case is remanded to the BIA to reconsider the motion to reopen based on the 2025 attacks, while the court also granted a stay of removal for the petitioners.

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