Pugin v. Garland

Decided June 22, 2023. Brett M. Kavanaugh delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 22-23 · 599 U.S. 600 (2023) · Cited 34 times

Holding

An offense may “relate to” obstruction of justice under the Immigration and Nationality Act’s definition of an “aggravated felony,” 8 U. S. C. §1101(a)(43)(S), even if the offense does not require that an investigation or proceeding be pending.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court. Read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 6–3.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. The lineup is the syllabus’s disposition of who wrote and joined each opinion. Source: the opinion’s syllabus (supremecourt.gov).

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.

• Taylor v. United States · 495 U.S. 575 (1990)
• Esquivel-Quintana v. Sessions · 581 U.S. 385 (2017)
• Pettibone v. United States · 148 U.S. 197 (1893)
• Descamps v. United States · 570 U.S. 254 (2013)
• Moncrieffe v. Holder · 569 U.S. 184 (2013)
• Carachuri-Rosendo v. Holder · 560 U.S. 563 (2010)
• United States v. Aguilar · 515 U.S. 593 (1995)
• Fong Haw Tan v. Phelan · 333 U.S. 6 (1948)
• Immigration & Naturalization Service v. Cardoza-Fonseca · 480 U.S. 421 (1987)
• United States v. Lanier · 520 U.S. 259 (1997)
• Iannelli v. United States · 420 U.S. 770 (1975)
• United States v. Bailey · 444 U.S. 394 (1980)
• United States v. Detroit Timber & Lumber Co. · 200 U.S. 321 (1906)
• Astoria Federal Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Solimino · 501 U.S. 104 (1991)
• Jordan v. De George · 341 U.S. 223 (1951)
• Lopez v. Gonzales · 549 U.S. 47 (2006)
• National Credit Union Administration v. First National Bank & Trust Co. · 522 U.S. 479 (1998)
• Arthur Andersen LLP v. United States · 544 U.S. 696 (2005)
• Mellouli v. Lynch · 575 U.S. 798 (2015)
• Voisine v. United States · 579 U.S. 686 (2016)
• Maracich v. Spears · 570 U.S. 48 (2013)
• Branch v. Smith · 538 U.S. 254 (2003)
• Ocasio v. United States · 578 U.S. 282 (2016)
• Kawashima v. Holder · 565 U.S. 478 (2012)
• Coventry Health Care of Mo., Inc. v. Nevils · 581 U.S. 87 (2017)

Cited by

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

• Fischer v. United States · 603 U.S. 480 (2024)
• Brown v. United States · 602 U.S. 101 (2024)

Official text

Read the official opinion (PDF, supremecourt.gov)

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2023). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-08-15. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).