Seventh Circuit: After Riley, the 30-Day Clock Runs Early, but It Is Not Jurisdictional

The decision. In E.E.V. v. Blanche, No. 25-2256 (7th Cir. July 6, 2026), the Seventh Circuit denied the government's motions to dismiss petitions for review filed by noncitizens in reinstatement proceedings who seek withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against Torture. Under Riley v. Bondi, 606 U.S. 259 (2025), the 30-day deadline now runs from the reinstated removal order rather than the end of withholding-only proceedings; the Seventh Circuit's prior precedent had told petitioners to wait. The court held the deadline is a claims-processing rule, not a jurisdictional bar, and that equitable tolling protects those who reasonably relied on the old rule.

What it means. File the petition for review within 30 days of the reinstatement or final administrative order, even while withholding-only proceedings continue. Tolling rescued petitioners caught by the change in law; it will not rescue anyone who misses the window now that Riley is settled.

The limits. The decision binds in the Seventh Circuit, whose cases arise from the Chicago Immigration Court, and equitable tolling remains fact-bound. The safe practice is the early petition, everywhere.

Case Law Watch is Emeriti Law's weekly note on decisions that matter for immigration appeals. Our appellate practice briefs these questions before the Board of Immigration Appeals. This note is general information, not legal advice.