Supreme Court to Weigh Asylum Eligibility for Man Who Cooked for Terror Group

The Supreme Court has agreed to review the asylum case of a Nigerian man who cooked meals at a camp for leaders of a group the U.S. government classifies as a terrorist organization. The court will hear arguments on whether Izuchukwu Ozurumba's work for the Unknown Gunmen qualifies as providing "material support" for terrorism.

The Justice Department, under the Trump administration, requested the Supreme Court's review after the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated Ozurumba's removal order. The administration argues that the 4th Circuit's decision conflicts with rulings from at least three other federal circuits and could impede the government's ability to deport immigrants with ties to terrorism.

"Providing meals to a terrorist organization's members is no less a material form of support than providing gasoline for its vehicles," the Justice Department wrote in its filing.

Ozurumba's legal team contends that no circuit split exists and that no federal court has adopted the government's broad interpretation of "material support." They assert that his interaction with the group was attenuated and inconsequential.

Ozurumba testified that he was unaware of the Unknown Gunmen's true purpose until after he began working at the camp. His lawyers state that the group, believed to be separatists operating in southern Nigeria, forced him to work without pay and repeatedly threatened him after he escaped. Ozurumba fled the camp near his home in Lagos, Nigeria, traveled to Venezuela, and then entered the U.S. illegally in July 2023, where he surrendered to Border Patrol.

An immigration judge had ordered Ozurumba deported to Nigeria several months after his arrival. A divided 4th Circuit panel had previously ruled that his work at the camp did not constitute material support for terrorism, with the majority opinion suggesting he was a "captive laborer" whose duties were unrelated to terrorist activities.