Supreme Court clears way for Trump administration to revive restrictive immigration policy

By — Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/supreme-court-clears-way-for-trump-administration-to-revive-restrictive-immigration-policy Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Supreme Court clears way for Trump administration to revive restrictive immigration policy Politics Jun 25, 2026 11:07 AM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court cleared the way Thursday for the Trump administration to potentially revive an immigration policy once used to turn back migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. The justices, in a 6-3 decision, overturned a lower court order blocking the practice that limited the number of people who could apply for asylum each day, first under the Obama administration and then expanded during President Donald Trump's first term. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Advocates said the tactic created a humanitarian crisis as thousands of people settled in unsafe makeshift shelters to await their turn. The Trump administration said it was necessary to deal with an increase of asylum seekers at the border. The policy isn't in place now, though authorities have imposed other restrictions on asylum seekers. The administration argued that metering is a critical tool that's been used by presidents of both parties and should stay available. Federal attorneys say people turned away at the border could come back later, though lines were thousands of people long when the policy was in place before. The case is one of several immigration suits is considering this term, including Trump's push to end restrict birthright citizenship and his administration's effort to strip legal temporary protections for migrants fleeing instability and armed conflict. READ MORE: Supreme Court allows Trump administration to end legal protections for Haitians and Syrians Under federal law, migrants who arrive in the U.S. must be able to apply for asylum and be screened for fear of persecution in their home countries. The Justice Department argued that people stopped by authorities haven't arrived in the country, so immigration agents don't have to let them apply. The court's conservative majority agreed. "A guest does not arrive in a house when he knocks on the front door," Justice Samuel Alito wrote. But attorneys for people seeking asylum say the law has long meant anyone arriving at a port of entry should be screened, and blocking arrivals disregards the nation's ideals. Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented from the bench, saying that the majority's opinion "regrettably and tragically extinguishes the light of the torch of the Statue of Liberty." In an unusual exchange, Alito voiced a response after she finished speaking. He expressed surprised that she'd read her dissent out loud and defended his opinion by pointing out that t