Supreme Court Seems Open to Trump Request to Block Asylum Seekers at Border
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- The Supreme Court justices appeared largely sympathetic to the Trump administration's position that asylum seekers can be turned away at the U.S.-Mexico border without entering U.S. soil.
- If upheld, this would revive a 2016 policy preventing asylum seekers from physically entering the U.S., thereby limiting their ability to claim asylum under federal law.
- The legal dispute centers on the interpretation of the word "arrive" in asylum law—whether asylum seekers must physically cross the border or if merely appearing at the border entitles them to apply.
- The conservative majority on the Court has generally supported Trump administration policies on presidential power, though it recently rebuked the president on tariffs, indicating some limits to their support.
- A final ruling on this asylum case is expected by late June or early July, with justices grappling over the precise legal meaning of "arrive" in the context of border crossings.
