The following excerpt is from DePaul Indus. v. Miller, 20-35598 (9th Cir. 2021):
"Qualified immunity shields government officials from civil damages liability unless the official violated a statutory or constitutional right that was clearly established at the time of the challenged conduct." Reichle v. Howards, 566 U.S. 658, 664 (2012). Constitutionally protected property "interests are created and their dimensions are defined by existing rules or understandings that stem from an independent source such as state law." United States v. Guillen-Cervantes, 748 F.3d 870, 872 (9th Cir. 2014) (internal quotation marks omitted). "This typically requires an individual to demonstrate that an existing law, rule, or understanding makes the conferral of a benefit mandatory." Id. (internal quotation marks omitted).
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