Adan Prieto-Cortez v. Matthew Whitaker

**Worker Files Immigration Appeal Too Early, Case Dismissed** This case involved Adan Prieto-Cortez, who was trying to challenge a decision about his immigration status that affected his ability to work. The dispute centered on the timing of when he filed his legal challenge. Prieto-Cortez filed his petition for review against a District Director's decision, but he did so before going through all the required steps in the immigration process. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed his case entirely. The court ruled that Prieto-Cortez filed his appeal too early – he should have waited for the Board of Immigration Appeals to rule on his motion to reopen his case first, and then challenged that decision instead. This matters for workers because it shows how important timing is in legal proceedings, especially immigration cases that affect work authorization. Workers must follow the correct order of appeals and wait for each step to be completed before moving to the next level of review. Filing too early can result in losing the right to challenge a decision altogether. Workers facing immigration issues should understand the proper sequence of appeals or risk having their cases thrown out on procedural grounds, regardless of the merits of their claims.