A decision by the 9th Circuit in California, 2023, established the legal standard for presenting claims under the United Nations Convention Against Torture in U.S. federal immigration proceedings. The court ruled that petitioners must be given a full evidentiary hearing before a judge before their claims can be dismissed. This ruling means that judges will engage with the substance of torture claims rather than dismiss them on procedural grounds for immigrants facing credible threats of torture. This decision significantly impacts all immigration courts within the jurisdiction of the 9rd Circuit, which covers California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Alaska, Hawaii and two U.K. territories. Zulu Ali, a former Marine and former police officer, runs a criminal defense and immigration firm out of Riverside, California. His firm also holds admission to five circuits, the Supreme Court, and The Hague.