Ali Mif Bey v. United States

Ali Mif Bey asks the Supreme Court to review how the Fourth Circuit decided that a federal regulation was unclear. The petition questions whether courts can find a rule “genuinely ambiguous” mainly because dictionaries give multiple meanings or because a rule's purpose creates uncertainty.

The case is at the petition stage, and oral argument is not yet scheduled. The petition argues that courts must exhaust traditional tools for interpreting a regulation before treating it as genuinely ambiguous.

The answer could affect people and organizations challenging a federal agency's reading of its own regulations. For example, a person subject to an agency rule could face a harder or easier path to contest the agency's interpretation.

The Court may decide whether to grant certiorari (agree to hear the case) or take another scheduling step. No decision window is available yet.

The case asks how carefully courts must interpret an agency regulation before accepting an agency's own reading of it.

People and organizations challenging federal agencies could be affected when an agency says its regulation supports a particular interpretation.

The Supreme Court will consider whether to grant certiorari, meaning it agrees to hear the case. Oral argument has not been scheduled.