U.S. Supreme Court to review legality of Trump's 'remain in Mexico' asylum policy

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

EMERGING MARKETS
OCTOBER 19, 2020 9:40 AM UPDATED 27 MINUTES AGO

U.S. Supreme Court to review legality of Trump's 'remain in Mexico' asylum policy

By Andrew Chung
3 MIN READ

(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide the legality of one of President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies that has forced tens of thousands of migrants along the southern border to wait in Mexico, rather than entering the United States, while their asylum claims are processed.

The justices will hear a Trump administration appeal of a 2019 lower court ruling that found the policy likely violated federal immigration law. The program, called Migrant Protection Protocols, remains in effect because the Supreme Court in March put the lower court’s decision to block the policy on hold while the legal battle continues.

The Republican president has said the “remain in Mexico” policy, which took effect in January 2019, has reduced the flow of migrants from Central America into the United States. Restricting both illegal and legal immigration has been a central theme of Trump’s presidency. He has sought to reduce asylum claims through a series of policy and rule changes.

Immigration advocacy groups and 11 individual asylum seekers who fled violence in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras were returned to Mexico after entering the United States filed suit to challenge the legality of the policy.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-asylum/u-s-supreme-court-to-review-legality-of-trumps-remain-in-mexico-asylum-policy-idUSKBN2741SO

[FBaggins]

1. Not good... but also probably not a big deal

They're reviewing a 9th circuit ruling from February.

So while there's a good chance that they'll overturn the ruling (takes at least four to pick up the case and that's without Barrett - so five is virtually assured), they don't appear to be rushing the schedule. So Trump should be gone by the time his policy is upheld.