Supreme Court Backs Trump's Immigration Policies
The United States Supreme Court has handed President Donald Trump two major victories in his administration’s immigration policy push, ruling in favour of measures aimed at restricting asylum claims and ending temporary protections for some migrants. In two separate decisions delivered on Thursday, the court ruled that migrants stopped at the US border before entering the country cannot claim the same asylum rights as those who have arrived in the United States.
TPS Ruling Supports the Administration
The court also ruled that Haitian and Syrian nationals with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) cannot obtain court orders delaying the cancellation of their status while legal challenges continue, CNN reported. The decisions provide the Trump administration with greater authority to implement its immigration agenda and remove legal barriers that had slowed efforts to reduce border crossings and increase removals.
Court Explains Asylum Ruling
Writing the majority opinion in the asylum case, Justice Samuel Alito said migrants who are prevented from entering the US from Mexico had not legally “arrived” in the country, Fox News reported. “This case presents a straightforward question: whether an alien who seeks to enter the United States from Mexico ‘arrives in the United States’ when he or she is still in Mexico,” Alito wrote. He added that the answer was no, stating that “no one would say that a person ‘arrives in’ a place” before actually entering it. However, Justice Sonia Sotomayor disagreed, arguing that the majority’s interpretation ignored previous legal understandings surrounding immigration status.
TPS Ruling Details
In the second case, Alito ruled that immigration law prevents TPS holders from receiving judicial relief unless their claims involve constitutional issues. “We hold that they are not,” Alito stated, referring to requests by Haitian and Syrian nationals seeking to delay the termination of their protected status. The rulings are expected to strengthen the Trump administration’s ability to enforce stricter immigration measures and reduce protections available to some migrants.
Judge Blocks Trump’s Order Requiring Citizenship Proof to Vote
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a federal judge has permanently stopped the Trump administration from enforcing an executive order that sought to change voting rules. The order, signed last year, required proof of citizenship to register to vote and demanded that mail-in ballots be received by Election Day.
