Donald Trump Wins Two Major Supreme Court Immigration Cases

The Supreme Court delivered two significant rulings that bolster the Trump administration’s control over immigration matters. Both decisions, decided by a 6-3 ideological split, reinforce the government’s power to regulate who may enter and remain in the United States.

Trump Administration Secures Court Approval on Immigration

On Thursday, the Supreme Court issued consecutive rulings that authorize the Trump administration to rescind legal protections for about 1.3 million immigrants and to refuse asylum applications from individuals before they physically enter US territory. The conservative majority aligned with the administration in both 6-3 decisions.

The first ruling involved Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which grants migrants from countries affected by conflict or disaster the right to live and work in the US. In Mullin v. Doe, the Supreme Court overturned prior lower court injunctions that had prevented the administration from terminating TPS for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian nationals.

Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, stated that courts lack the jurisdiction to question the government’s decisions regarding TPS. The court also dismissed allegations that ending TPS protections for Haitians was motivated by racial discrimination. This ruling impacts roughly 1.3 million immigrants from 17 nations, many of whom have resided in the US for extended periods.

The second ruling endorsed the administration’s practice of positioning border agents directly at the US-Mexico border to block migrants from entering US soil. The court held that asylum seekers do not have the right to apply for asylum until they have physically crossed into the country. Justice Sonia Sotomayor notably read her dissent aloud from the bench.

These rulings add to a series of Supreme Court decisions favoring the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Earlier in the week, the court permitted the government to deny entry to green-card holders. Additionally, the high court is anticipated to issue a ruling shortly regarding birthright citizenship, the doctrine that grants automatic citizenship to nearly all individuals born on US soil.