Statute treatment: 8 U.S.C.A. § 1101

Ranked leading cases interpreting this statute, drawn from 1,332 citation events across 766 distinct cases.

1,332citations total

766distinct interpreting cases

82distinct courts

41citations in last 5y

1953–2025year range

Top 20 leading cases

#1 Li Fang Lin v. Mukasey (2008) ca4 163 own cites 18× in case

#2 Fernandez v. Keisler (2007) ca4 52 own cites 24× in case

#3 H.S.P. v. J.K. (2015) nj 68 own cites 12× in case

#4 Qiao Hua Li v. Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General (2005) ca4 149 own cites 6× in case

#5 Yong Hao Chen v. U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service (1999) ca4 273 own cites 3× in case

#6 United States v. Carlos Pacheco (2000) ca2 91 own cites 4× in case

#7 In Re DANY G. (2015) mdctspecapp 23 own cites 8× in case

#8 H.S.P. v. J.K. (2014) njsuperctappdiv 19 own cites 9× in case

#9 United States v. Sylvia Anita Ryan-Webster (2003) ca4 76 own cites 4× in case

#10 Elvis David Lewis v. U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service (1999) ca4 63 own cites 4× in case

#11 State v. Gaitan (2012) nj 366 own cites 5× in case

#12 Application of Samuel Mirzoeff, for Citizenship. United States of America v. Samuel Mirzoeff (1958) ca2 13 own cites 9× in case

#13 In re J.E. (2013) njsuperctappdiv 6 own cites 16× in case

#14 Rubinstein v. Brownell, Attorney General of United States (1953) cadc 45 own cites 4× in case

#15 United States v. Melekh (1960) nysd 16 own cites 7× in case

#16 Mary Moore Aalund v. E. Dewitt Marshall, District Director of Immigration and Naturalization (1972) ca5 41 own cites 4× in case

#17 cluster 763744 (1999) ca11 70 own cites 3× in case

#18 BATISTA (1997) bia 37 own cites 4× in case

#19 Pan American World Airways, Inc. v. United States (1954) cc 18 own cites 6× in case

#20 Velasquez, L. v. Miranda, L. (2023) pasuperct 11 own cites 8× in case

Ranking method: leading_score = ln(1 + own_citation_count) × √(mentions_in_case) × flag_factor, where flag_factor = 1.0 green · 0.6 unknown · 0.5 neutral · 0.4 yellow · 0.3 procedural · 0 red. Red-flagged cases excluded — their interpretation has been undermined and shouldn't lead the list. Top 20 returned per statute. Open any case for full G Cite, trajectory, and per-circuit treatment.