Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan on Wednesday denied an emergency appeal from four Mexican nationals seeking to delay deportation.
The family—Fabian Lagunas Espinoza, Maria Angelica Flores Ulloa, and their two sons—argued they face cartel violence if returned to Mexico.
They fled Guerrero in 2021 after receiving threats from the Los Rojos cartel. The petition described past violence against family members who resisted cartel demands.
The family entered the U.S. unlawfully and applied for asylum, but their claim was denied by an immigration judge, upheld by the Board of Immigration Appeals, and affirmed by the Ninth Circuit. A temporary stay was lifted on April 7.
The emergency appeal argued due process violations and overlooked evidence. Kagan, assigned to the Ninth Circuit, denied the request without comment or referral to the full Court.
The family was ordered to report to immigration authorities on April 17.
