Apr 28, 2026
Supreme Court Broadly Interprets “relating to” in Federal Officer Removal Statute – Update from Manko Gold Katcher Fox
April 22, 2026
Wesley S. Stevenson, Esq.
MGKF Litigation Blog
Earlier this month in Chevron USA Inc. v. Plaquemines Parish, the U.S. Supreme Court broadly interpreted the meaning of “relating to” in the federal officer removal statute. In doing so, it vacated the judgment of the Fifth Circuit that held defendant had not sufficiently demonstrated that plaintiffs’ suit was “for or relating to” the acts it performed under the authority of a federal officer. The Court looked to the ordinary meaning of “relating to” across various contexts and held that defendant had shown the instant lawsuit implicated acts “that are closely connected to the performance of its federal duties.”