Juan Moreno Colindres v. Todd Blanche — 4th Cir. (Oct 29, 2026)

No. 24-1533 Argued October 29, 2026 Published October 30, 2026

The Fourth Circuit hears a Nicaraguan man's challenge to losing protection from removal. His fight over being sent back to Nicaragua has unfolded during prolonged U.S. immigration detention. An immigration judge granted him protection under the Convention Against Torture, but the government appealed and the Board of Immigration Appeals reversed. He is asking the court to review that reversal. This protection requires a more-likely-than-not risk of torture involving public officials. The dispute also concerns who gets to decide the facts. The Board must review the immigration judge's factual findings for clear error; it may not simply choose a different view of the evidence. The Fourth Circuit is examining whether the Board respected that limit.

Juan Moreno Colindres v. Todd Blanche (No. 24-1533) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, argued October 29, 2026.

Sources

Argument audio — official Fourth Circuit recording, October 29, 2026:https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/OAarchive/mp3/24-1533-20261029.mp3

Official argument calendar — No. 24-1533:https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/cal/internetcalOct272026.pdf

Immigration detention and prior protection proceedings — Abreu v. Crawford, Doc. 19, January 8, 2025, section I.B:https://cases.justia.com/federal/district-courts/virginia/vaedce/1%3A2024cv01782/561456/19/0.pdf

Board review of immigration-judge factual findings — 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(d)(3):https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/1003.1

Convention Against Torture protection — 8 C.F.R. § 1208.16(c):https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/1208.16

Definition of torture — 8 C.F.R. § 1208.18(a):https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/1208.18

0:00Introduction