9th Cir.

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Every decision we've summarized from United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Apr 28 2026
24-5444 Unpublished

ALEKSANIAN, ET AL. V. BLANCHE

The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review seeking asylum and related relief for Russian nationals, upholding the Board of Immigration Appeals' finding that the evidence did not compel a conclusion of persecution. The court held that the Immigration Judge properly applied the cumulative-effect standard and that the record failed to show an objectively well-founded fear of future persecution.

Civil Immigration (Civil)
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Apr 28 2026
1:23-cv-00389- Published

PUBLIC INTEREST LEGAL FOUNDATION, INC. V. NAGO

The Ninth Circuit held that the National Voter Registration Act does not grant the public a right to access raw statewide voter registration lists. Although the court affirmed that the plaintiff had standing and that the claim was ripe, it ruled that the statute only mandates disclosure of records concerning the implementation of list maintenance programs, not the lists themselves.

Civil Civil Rights - Voting FOIA
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Apr 28 2026
4:22-cv-00051- Published

DOE 1, ET AL. V. META PLATFORMS, INC.

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a putative class action alleging that Facebook's design incited violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar. The court held that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act bars claims treating Meta as a publisher of third-party content, even when the platform's algorithms recommend such content.

Civil Constitutional Labor
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Apr 28 2026
20-71287 Unpublished

RAFAEL RODRIGUEZ ZARAGOZA V. TODD BLANCHE

The Ninth Circuit dismissed a petition for review of a BIA denial of cancellation of removal, holding it lacked jurisdiction over discretionary hardship determinations and factual findings. The court further rejected a claim regarding a defective Notice to Appear because the petitioner failed to exhaust the argument before the agency.

Civil Immigration (Civil) Sixth Amendment - Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
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Apr 28 2026
24-7677 Unpublished

OLIVAREZ MORALES, ET AL. V. BLANCHE

The Ninth Circuit denied a petition for review of an immigration order denying asylum and withholding of removal to a Mexican national. The court held that the record did not compel a contrary conclusion regarding the petitioner's failure to prove a well-founded fear of persecution on account of a particular social group.

Civil Immigration (Civil)
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Apr 27 2026
24-7200 Unpublished

AGAPITO MORALES, ET AL. V. BLANCHE

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of asylum and Convention Against Torture claims because the petitioners failed to submit required biometrics despite sixteen months of notice. The court held that the Immigration Judge did not abuse his discretion in deeming the applications abandoned and rejected due process arguments regarding legal assistance.

Civil Immigration (Civil) Sixth Amendment - Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
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Apr 27 2026
24-6193 Unanimous

HANAN, ET AL. V. UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES, ET AL.

The Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the government, holding that the statutory marriage fraud bar applies even when no immigration benefit was actually sought in the prior fraudulent marriage. The court further ruled that USCIS satisfied due process requirements by relying on an ex-spouse's testimony without cross-examination, given the presence of independent evidence and the administrative burden of such hearings.

Civil Environmental (Civil) Summary Judgment
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Apr 27 2026
2:24-cv-00655- 2-1

FORWARD, INC. V. MACOMBER, ET AL.

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a citizen suit under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, ruling that state agency heads lacked the required 'fairly direct' connection to alleged hazardous waste violations to overcome Eleventh Amendment immunity. The court held that general supervisory roles over agencies causing pollution are insufficient to subject officials to suit under the Ex parte Young exception.

Civil Civil Rights - Voting Summary Judgment
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Apr 27 2026
3:25-cv-02170-SI Published

DICKINSON, ET AL. V. TRUMP, ET AL.

The Ninth Circuit stayed a district court's preliminary injunction that restricted federal agents' use of non-lethal crowd-control munitions at the Portland ICE facility. The appellate court found the government likely to succeed on its First Amendment retaliation claim and ruled the lower court's order was overly broad and exceeded judicial authority.

Civil Civil Rights - Employment
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Apr 24 2026
4:23-cv-00094-RCC Unpublished

PELTZ, ET AL. V. BRYSON, ET AL.

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a First Amendment challenge to courthouse videorecording bans, holding that the restrictions were reasonable and viewpoint-neutral in nonpublic forums. The court found the plaintiffs failed to plausibly allege facts showing the prohibitions violated their constitutional rights.

Civil Civil Rights - Section 1983
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