Drug paraphernalia and deportation
Mellouli v. Lynch
In brief
Mellouli won: the Supreme Court ruled that his Kansas conviction did not make him removable under the federal provision.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided 7-2 · June 1, 2015 · Opinion by Justice Ginsburg
- What it’s about
- The Supreme Court overturned the Eighth Circuit and ruled that Moones Mellouli’s Kansas conviction for concealing unnamed pills in his sock did not trigger his deportation under the federal law at issue.
- Who it affects
- Mellouli could not be deported under this federal provision based on that Kansas conviction.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
Federal immigration law lists some drug-related convictions as grounds for removing noncitizens; the dispute asked whether Mellouli’s Kansas paraphernalia conviction qualified.
Question presented
To trigger deportability under the Immigration and Nationality Act, must the government prove the connection between a drug paraphernalia conviction and a substance listed in the Controlled Substances Act?
What the Court decided
Holding
Mellouli’s Kansas conviction for concealing unnamed pills in his sock did not trigger removal under §1227(a)(2)(B)(i). 719 F. 3d 995, reversed.
- Result
- Reversed
The vote
From the opinions
“Because the statute renders an alien removable whenever he is convicted of violating a law “relating to” a federally controlled substance, I would affirm.”
What's next
Immigration officials cannot rely on this conviction to remove Mellouli under the provision at issue.
Documents
Opinions
Docket activity
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AI analysis generated: Impact Analysis
AI analysis generated: Opinion Summary
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AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
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AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
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Opinion added: Mellouli
More questions
- What did Justice Thomas argue?
- He argued that a conviction under any law connected to a federally controlled substance could make a person removable, and that the Court left lower courts without a replacement rule.
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.