Skip to main content

No. 19-1155October Term 2019Decided Jun 1, 2021Updated May 24, 2026

Docket 19-1155October Term 2019 (2019–2020)

Garland v. Dai

Garland v. Ming Dai

This immigration case concerned whether the Ninth Circuit wrongly treated Ming Dai’s asylum testimony as automatically credible and true because the immigration judge and Board of Immigration Appeals did not make an explicit adverse credibility finding.

Case status

Decided 9-0 · June 1, 2021 · Opinion by Justice Gorsuch

Read the opinion (PDF)
Current stage
Decided
Latest event
Decision released Jun 1, 2021
Case Accepted
Arguments
Decision ReleasedJun 1, 2021
What it's about

This immigration case concerned whether the Ninth Circuit wrongly treated Ming Dai’s asylum testimony as automatically credible and true because the immigration judge and Board of Immigration Appeals did not make an explicit adverse credibility finding. It also asked whether the court of appeals went too far by deciding for itself that Dai was entitled to relief instead of sending the case back to the immigration agency.

Question presented

1. Whether a court of appeals may conclusively presume that an asylum applicant's testimony is credible and true whenever an immigration judge or the Board of Immigration Appeals adjudicates an application without making an explicit adverse credibility determination. 2. Whether the court of appeals violated the remand rule as set forth in INS v. Ventura, 537 U.S. 12 (2002) (per curiam), when it determined in the first instance that respondent was eligible for asylum and entitled to withholding of removal.

Case path

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit / Decision released Jun 1, 2021

Area

Administrative Law, Immigration

Timing

Decided June 1, 2021

The Court released its decision on June 1, 2021 without hearing oral argument.

Activity

Docket activity3
  • Brief added: Questions Presented

    May 24, 2026 | Court records

  • Opinion added: opinion

    Jun 1, 2021 | Court records

  • Brief added: Petition

    Mar 20, 2020 | Court records