Jean et al. v. Nelson, Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service, et al.

Decided June 26, 1985. William Hubbs Rehnquist delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 84-5240 · 472 U.S. 846 (1985) · Cited 513 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 6–2.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Shaughnessy v. United States Ex Rel. Mezei · 345 U.S. 206 (1953)
• Kwong Hai Chew v. Colding · 344 U.S. 590 (1953)
• Investment Company Institute v. Camp · 401 U.S. 617 (1971)
• Young v. United States · 315 U.S. 257 (1942)
• Jay v. Boyd · 351 U.S. 345 (1956)
• Yick Wo v. Hopkins · 118 U.S. 356 (1886)
• Leng May Ma v. Barber · 357 U.S. 185 (1958)
• Kaplan v. Tod · 267 U.S. 228 (1925)
• Russian Volunteer Fleet v. United States · 282 U.S. 481 (1931)
• Motor Vehicle Mfrs. Assn. of United States, Inc. v. State Farm Mut. Automobile Ins. Co. · 463 U.S. 29 (1983)
• Citizens to Preserve Overton Park, Inc. v. Volpe · 401 U.S. 402 (1971)
• Mt. Healthy City School District Board of Education v. Doyle · 429 U.S. 274 (1977)
• Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority · 297 U.S. 288 (1936)
• Plyler v. Doe · 457 U.S. 202 (1982)
• Kleindienst v. Mandel · 408 U.S. 753 (1972)
• United States v. Locke · 471 U.S. 84 (1985)
• United States Ex Rel. Knauff v. Shaughnessy · 338 U.S. 537 (1950)
• Wong Wing v. United States · 163 U.S. 228 (1896)
• United States Ex Rel. Hintopoulos v. Shaughnessy · 353 U.S. 72 (1957)
• Chevron U. S. A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. · 467 U.S. 837 (1984)
• Abbott Laboratories v. Gardner · 387 U.S. 136 (1967)
• Sibron v. New York · 392 U.S. 40 (1968)
• Kolender v. Lawson · 461 U.S. 352 (1983)
• Burlington Truck Lines, Inc. v. United States · 371 U.S. 156 (1962)
• Heckler v. Chaney · 470 U.S. 821 (1985)
• Cohens v. Virginia · 19 U.S. 264 (1821)
• Bowles v. Seminole Rock & Sand Co. · 325 U.S. 410 (1945)
• Mathews v. Diaz · 426 U.S. 67 (1976)
• Gulf Oil Co. v. Bernard · 452 U.S. 89 (1981)
• Ford Motor Credit Co. v. Milhollin · 444 U.S. 555 (1980)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• West v. Atkins · 487 U.S. 42 (1988)
• Reno v. Flores · 507 U.S. 292 (1993)
• Commissioner, Immigration & Naturalization Service v. Jean · 496 U.S. 154 (1990)
• Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Assn. · 485 U.S. 439 (1988)
• Wright v. City of Roanoke Redevelopment & Housing Authority · 479 U.S. 418 (1987)
• McNary v. Haitian Refugee Center, Inc. · 498 U.S. 479 (1991)
• Hoffman Plastic Compounds, Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board · 535 U.S. 137 (2002)
• Puerto Rico v. Branstad · 483 U.S. 219 (1987)
• Kennedy v. Braidwood Management, Inc. · 606 U.S. 748 (2025)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).