Supreme Court Brief: Who’s at the Lectern

The US Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday in Pugin v. Garlan as part of the final oral argument round of the 2022-23 session. Pugin, a Mauritian man who pled guilty to being an accessory after the fact to a felony, was ordered to be removed by an immigration judge after it was determined that his offense was an aggravated felony under Virginia state law. He argued in his own brief to the high court that obstruction under US immigration laws “requires interference with a pending proceeding.” The government contends that obstruction of justice is a deportable offense, regardless of its relation to an active investigation or court case. Martha (Mattie) Hutton of O’Melveny represented Pugin in what was her first argument at the US Supreme Court.

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