Barton v. Barr

The case asked whether a lawful permanent resident could be treated as inadmissible for the stop-time rule even when not seeking entry into the United States. The Court said that if the person committed an offense listed in 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(2) during the first seven years of residence, that offense stops the clock and can block cancellation of removal.

The Court decided the case on April 23, 2020, after argument on November 4, 2019, but the prompt does not provide the vote count or opinion lineup.

This affects lawful permanent residents facing removal who want cancellation of removal (a chance to stay in the country). For example, a green-card holder who committed a listed crime within seven years of residence may lose that chance even without leaving and reentering the U.S.

The Supreme Court has finished this case. Immigration courts and lower courts must apply this interpretation when deciding whether lawful permanent residents are eligible to seek cancellation of removal.

The Court considered whether a green-card holder could be treated as inadmissible for the stop-time rule without seeking entry. That mattered for eligibility for cancellation of removal.

Lawful permanent residents in removal cases are most affected. A listed crime within the first seven years of residence can end eligibility to ask to stay.

The Supreme Court's work on this case is over. Immigration judges and lower courts now apply this reading of the stop-time rule in future cases.