Justices make persecution exception to deportation rule

WASHINGTON—A federal appeals court can review the deportation case against a man who fled to the United States from Lebanon, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 on Monday. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the majority, said the court can hear appeals about deportation decisions if the individual could face persecution or torture in their country of origin. Congress passed a law blocking judicial review of deportation orders, but it did not include appeals under the UN Convention Against Torture.

Who is trying to appeal? Nidal Khalid Nasrallah fled from Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon and is a lawful permanent U.S. resident. The Board of Immigration Appeals ordered him deported for “moral turpitude” after federal authorities convicted him of receiving a large shipment of stolen cigarettes. Nasrallah argued the Convention Against Torture protects him from deportation.

Dig deeper: From The World and Everything in It archives, listen to Mary Reichard’s Legal Docket analysis of the case.