Litigators Rock!

Tuesday, Apr. 14, 2026

Greg Romanovsky

David Walters

As a retired but still recovering immigration litigator, I know all too well how hard it is to win in court, especially in immigration cases against the seemingly all-powerful federal government.

Here are two recent victories worthy of note:

• In Petrova v. DHS, litigated by Greg Romanovsky, Chief Judge Christina Reiss (Dist. VT) ruled on the case of Ms. Kseniia Petrova, a Harvard research scientist from Russia with a J-1 visa. She attempted to reenter the USA after a trip abroad. Customs officers discovered “inert frog embryo samples from the Curie Institute” in her luggage and cancelled her visa. She sued, and she won. Judge Reiss said: “The undisputed facts reveal that Ms. Petrova’s visa was impermissibly canceled

  because of the frog embryo samples and for no other reason. Indeed, the cancellation took place before she asked to return to France and before she expressed a fear of persecution in her home country. … Revocation of Ms. Petrova’s visa was therefore “arbitrary, capricious, ... or otherwise not in accordance with law[;] ... in excess of [CBP’s] statutory jurisdiction, authority, or limitations[]”; and “without observance of procedure required by law[.]” 5 U.S.C. § 706(2)(A), (C), & (D). This unlawful action violated the APA, and the CBP’s cancellation of Ms. Petrova’s J-1 visa must be set aside.” She is back at work now at her Harvard lab. Hats off to Greg!

• In Maravilla v. Mattos, litigated by David Walters, Judge Boulware (Dist. NV) ruled on the case of Mr. Roman Maravilla, locked up in a Nevada immigration gulag. Granting the petition for a writ of habeas corpus, Judge Boulware said: “[T]he Court finds that Petitioner is a member of the Jacobo Ramirez Class. Therefore, his ongoing detention without a bond hearing is statutorily unlawful, and it has constitutional consequences that demand robust procedural remedies. Thus, the Court grants Petitioner a writ of habeas corpus and orders Respondents to supply him with a prompt bond hearing, where the government bears the burden of proof; alternatively, Respondents may immediately release him from custody.” Hats off to David!

Of course, there’s always plenty of bad news, and bad court decisions, out there every day, but let’s leave it upbeat today.

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Comments always welcome.

As the Hon. Paul Schmidt says when he signs his emails, “Due Process Forever!”

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