Designated for publication Willett, J. (single-judge order), immigration, mandate Denying motion to reopen case. Jose Ernesto Romero-Lozano, removed from the U.S. in 2014 and illegally reentering eight years later, was placed in withholding-only proceedings after DHS reinstated his removal order in 2022. An Immigration Judge denied his application, and the BIA affirmed in November 2023. … More August 12, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Higginson, J. (Smith, Higginson, Douglas), breach of contract Affirming summary judgment in favor of health insurers on claims by healthcare providers where no written assignment of the insured’s claims was provided, but reversing summary judgment on claims where a written assignment was provided, and remanding for further proceedings. The case involves fifty-six … More August 8, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Elrod, Higginbotham, Smith), Clean Air Act, administrative law, Administrative Procedure Act, venue On remand from U.S. Supreme Court, original panel opinion from November 22, 2023 (Elrod, Smith, Higginbotham; Higginbotham, J., dissenting) (vacating EPA decision to deny refineries’ requested exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard program of the Clean Air Act), … More August 7, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Ho, J. (King, Ho, Ramirez), CARES Act, administrative law Affirming district court’s dismissal of plaintiff’s claim for forgiveness of CARES Act paycheck protection program loan for which plaintiff had not been eligible to begin with. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), created by Congress under the CARES Act during the COVID-19 pandemic, provided … More August 6, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Duncan, Engelhardt), employment discrimination, COVID-19 Reversing summary judgment in favor of the employer on the plaintiff former employee’s Title VII religious discrimination claim arising from his termination after refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccination and the employer failing to grant him a religious exemption, and remanding for further proceedings. … More August 5, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Ho, J. (Higginbotham, Willett, Ho), election law Reversing district court judgment that Texas election law requiring an ID number on the mail-in ballot application and on the mail-in ballot violated federal law, and rendering judgment for Texas official defendants. The Fifth Circuit upheld Texas’s Election Protection and Integrity Act of 2021, which … More August 4, 2025, opinions
Unpublished opinions per curiam (Graves, Ho, Douglas), prisoner suit Dismissing as frivolous appeal from denial of petition for mandamus to compel ICE to turn over certain materials from arrest. per curiam (Stewart, Dennis, Haynes), maritime law Affirming district court’s judgment as to damages for certain vessels arising from mooring insufficiencies during Hurricane Ida, but reversing … More July 31, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication Elrod, C.J. (Elrod, Engelhardt, Guidry, by designation), First Amendment, standing, qualified immunity Reversing dismissal of plaintiff’s First Amendment pre-enforcement challenge to Texas Election Code for lack of standing; affirming dismissal of claims against defendants in individual capacities as barred by qualified immunity; and remanding for further proceedings. The Institute for Free Speech … More July 28-29, 2025, opinions
Unpublished decisions per curiam (Jones, Duncan, Douglas), criminal Granting Anders motion to withdraw, and dismissing appeal. per curiam (Jones, Duncan, Douglas), criminal Granting Anders motion to withdraw, and dismissing appeal. per curiam (Higginbotham, Jones, Oldham), criminal Affirming conviction of possession of a stolen firearm. per curiam (Higginbotham, Jones, Oldham), criminal, new trial Affirming denial of … More July 25, 2025, opinions
Designated for publication per curiam (Stewart, Clement, Willett), criminal, sentencing Withdrawing prior opinion after petition for rehearing, and substituting new opinion affirming sentence of defendant on issue of intervening amendment to Sentencing Guidelines. Darrell Wickware, previously convicted of robbery under Texas law, was charged in 2021 with unlawful possession of a firearm as a convicted … More July 22, 2025, opinions
