The Biden administration’s immigration rules that prioritize selecting noncitizens to deport were reportedly upheld by the Supreme Court in an 8-1 decision on Friday, overturning two Republican state attorneys general’s objections that the practices were in violation of immigration law.
In the case, Justice Brett Kavanaugh authored the majority opinion on Friday.
In a ruling that will further define the circumstances under which a state may go to court to contest a federal policy in the future, the court ruled that Texas and Louisiana did not have standing to suit in the first place.
President Joe Biden and the White House, who have constantly advocated the necessity to prioritize who they detain and deport given limited resources, are celebrating the decision as a significant triumph.
The court narrowed the guidelines for when states may challenge federal laws they disagree with by finding against the states.
A federal judge halted the Biden administration’s program almost two years ago, and the Supreme Court declined to remove that halt last year.
In a concurring opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch reached a different conclusion from the majority judgment that the states lacked standing, with the support of Justices Clarence Thomas and Amy Coney Barrett. Judge Samuel Alito spoke dissent.
A September 2021 letter from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, which reversed attempts by previous President Donald Trump to enhance deportations, set priorities for the capture and expulsion of certain non-citizens, became the center of the controversy.
There are some 11 million illegal or otherwise deportable non-citizens living in the nation, according to Mayorkas’ report, and the US is unable to capture and attempt to deport them all.
As a result, the Department of Homeland Security tried to give priority to individuals who are a danger to the security of the country, the general public, and the borders.
The main issue of whether the administration had the power to carry out the program was not addressed by the majority.
[READ MORE: Former GOP Congressman William Hurd Announces Presidential Run]
