5th Circuit Grants En Banc Rehearing to Address Federal Officer Removal

After years of inconsistent rulings, the Fifth Circuit is poised to address a removal issue with significant ramifications for Louisiana tort cases. The previous version of 28 U.S.C. § 1442 authorized removal to federal court of a suit against a federal officer “only when the state suit was ‘for any act under color of such office.’” The Fifth Circuit, interpreting this language, held that the removing party must show a causal connection between its actions and the plaintiff’s claims. The causal connection requirement demands more than “mere federal involvement[;] instead, the defendant must show that its actions taken pursuant to the government’s direction or control caused the plaintiff’s specific injuries.” In 2011, Congress amended § 1442 to allow removal of a state suit against a federal officer “for or relating to any act under color of such office.” While the Third and Fourth Circuits shifted…

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