Case Explained: XIANG CAO V. TODD BLANCHE

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Filed: 2026-06-29 The Ninth Circuit denied Xiang Zhang Cao’s petition for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ order dismissing his appeal of an Immigration Judge’s denial of asylum and withholding of removal. The court held that substantial evidence supports the agency’s adverse credibility finding, noting that under the REAL ID Act, immigration judges may rely on material falsehoods to make such findings even if those falsehoods are not central to the claim for relief. Additionally, the court applied the standard requiring an applicant who committed immigration fraud to present evidence that overrides their intentional deception to the point where the record compels disregarding the fraud; because Cao admitted to lying on his visa application and the agency found he committed fraud, the court concluded there was substantial evidence to support the determination that he was not credible and did not show entitlement to relief. Consequently, the petition is denied and the agency’s order denying relief from removal stands. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.