Case Explained: KAUR, ET AL. V. BLANCHE

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Filed: 2026-08-14 The Ninth Circuit denied the petition for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ decision denying the petitioners’ applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). The court applied the substantial evidence standard of review, which holds that administrative findings are conclusive unless any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude otherwise. The court affirmed the adverse credibility determination against the primary applicant, Jasbir Kaur Kaur, finding that the agency reasonably relied on the totality of the circumstances, including her voluntary return to India twice after the alleged incidents and concerns regarding the veracity of a medical record for her father’s hospitalization. Additionally, the petitioners waived several grounds relied upon by the Immigration Judge and BIA by failing to specifically raise them in their opening brief. Regarding the CAT claim, the court noted that while an adverse credibility finding does not automatically preclude relief, reversing the denial would require evidence alone compelling the conclusion that the petitioner was more likely than not to be tortured; because the petitioners failed to make a specific argument regarding other evidence supporting this standard, the issue was waived. The practical consequence is that the petition for review is denied and the motion to stay removal is denied, leaving the agency’s order denying relief in effect. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.