Justices Hear Arguments Over Whether 30-Day Filing Deadline Bars Review of CAT Orders in Riley v. Bondi

The Supreme Court heard arguments in Riley v. Bondi on whether the 30‑day filing deadline in the Immigration and Nationality Act is a jurisdictional bar to federal court review and whether a Convention Against Torture (CAT) decision can postpone finality of a removal order.

Advocates and amicus counsel emphasized competing statutory texts, prior decisions and practical consequences for removal procedures. “A sensible scheme of judicial review would provide a right to review on a petition properly filed,” counsel for the petitioner said, arguing the statute should be read to let CAT claims and removal challenges be consolidated after the agency completes its work. Counsel for another party told the court directly: “On the first question presented, the 30 day filing deadline in section 12 52 b 1 is not jurisdictional,” and argued Stone and other precedents do not require a different result.

Why the case matters: the court’s ruling will determine whether certain withholding‑only (CAT) determinations can be appealed together with removal orders after agency proceedings conclude, or whether the 30‑day clock that follows a final…