Supreme Court to Decide if Cooking for Terrorists Bars Asylum
The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case about coerced support for a terrorist group by an asylum seeker.
Why it matters: This case will clarify how federal laws define material support to terrorists, affecting immigration and asylum law. It will guide practitioners on handling asylum claims involving coerced actions linked to terrorism.
- The Court accepted the case of Izuchukwu Ozurumba, a Nigerian asylum seeker who cooked for a terrorist group in 2022.
- Ozurumba worked for six months at a camp run by the 'Unknown Gunmen,' a U.S.-designated terrorist group, providing meals to 15-17 leaders.
- A lower immigration judge ordered his deportation under the material support bar; the 4th Circuit vacated that order, citing coercion.
- The Trump administration argues that providing meals to terrorists is materially supporting terrorism, prompting the Supreme Court review.
On October 13, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review the asylum case of Izuchukwu Ozurumba, a Nigerian man who worked as a cook at a camp operated by the 'Unknown Gunmen,' a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. Ozurumba provided three meals daily to 15 to 17 leaders over approximately six months in 2022, testifying that he was unaware of the camp's terrorist nature and was forced into this role.
Ozurumba escaped the camp and entered the United States illegally in July 2023, surrendering to Border Patrol. An immigration judge ordered his deportation, ruling that cooking for the group constituted 'material support' to terrorism under the Immigration and Nationality Act. However, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated that deportation order in September 2025, emphasizing Ozurumba's coerced labor and rejecting the finding that his actions amounted to material support.
The Trump administration appealed this decision to the Supreme Court, arguing that providing meals to terrorist leaders is equivalent to providing tangible support, such as gasoline for vehicles. The Justice Department asserts that supplying food to a terrorist group is materially supporting their operations just as any other form of assistance.
Ozurumba's attorneys counter that no federal court has previously adopted such a broad definition of material support encompassing involuntary acts like cooking under duress. The Supreme Court's ruling will clarify how federal terrorism support laws apply, particularly around coerced involvement, with major implications for immigration officials, asylum seekers, and legal practitioners working in this complex space.
By the numbers:
- 6 months — Duration Ozurumba cooked at the terrorist camp
- 15-17 — Number of terrorist leaders served meals thrice daily
- September 2, 2025 — Date the 4th Circuit vacated the deportation order
Yes, but: The Supreme Court must balance the government's broad interpretation of material support against protections for individuals coerced into terrorist-related activities.
What's next: The Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments in early 2027, with a decision to follow later that year.