WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to decide whether a Nigerian man is barred from asylum because he cooked meals at a camp for leaders of a group the U.S. considers a terrorist organization, The Associated Press reported.
The Trump administration asked the court to review a 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision that vacated Izuchukwu Ozurumba’s removal order. The case turns on whether his cooking job for leaders of the Unknown Gunmen counts as “material support” for a terrorist group.
“Providing meals to a terrorist organization’s members is no less a material form of support than providing gasoline for its vehicles,” Justice Department lawyers wrote.
Ozurumba testified he did not know the camp’s true purpose when he started. His lawyers say the group forced him to work without pay and threatened him after he escaped.
A divided 4th Circuit panel found he appeared to be “simply a captive laborer.” Ozurumba entered the U.S. illegally in July 2023 and surrendered to Border Patrol, the AP reported.
Sources: KTAR News / The Associated Press. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
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