Supreme Court cancels arguments in two Trump-era immigration cases
Washington — The Supreme Court on Wednesday canceled arguments planned for the coming weeks in two immigration disputes over policies enacted by former President Donald Trump designed to curb illegal immigration into the United States.
The court granted a request from the new Biden administration to remove the legal battles from its argument calendar and delay additional filings in light of President Biden's immigration directives unwinding his predecessor's policies.
The justices were poised to hear oral arguments in the cases during the last week of February and the first week of March. The first dispute, set to be argued February 22, involved Mr. Trump's efforts to redirect $2.5 billion in military funds to pay for construction of more than 100 miles of barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The second case, scheduled for March 1, challenged the Trump administration's Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the "Remain in Mexico" policy. The policy required Central American and other Spanish-speaking migrants seeking asylum at the southern border to stay in Mexico for the duration of their immigration proceedings. But those proceedings were halted indefinitely during the Trump administration because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr. Biden in his first weeks in office has issued a series of executive actions related to the immigration system. On the day of his inauguration, the president ended the national emergency declaration used by Mr. Trump to divert military funds to build the wall, halting construction of the barrier. Then, this week he issued an order mandating a review of the Trump administration's "Remain in Mexico" policy, which forced 70,000 asylum-seekers to remain outside the U.S. as their cases were adjudicated.