Last term, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) appeared to largely avoid controversial issues. However, this week, SCOTUS launched the October 2019 term intent on diving into an intense docket of issues including: abortion, the Second Amendment, religious liberty and the Civil Rights Act.
Additionally, the Court is expected to rule on two separate immigration-related issues.
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): On November 12, SCOTUS will finally consider President Trump’s decision to phase out DACA.
In 2017, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the administration would begin to wind down the program in accordance with President Trump’s 2016 campaign promise. Immediately following the announcement, multiple lower courts began ruling on the issue eventually issuing nationwide injunctions that permitted the program to continue for the approximately 690,000 existing illegal alien beneficiaries.
To read more on DACA please click here and here.
- Law Encouraging Illegal Immigrants to Enter to the US: Consideration date TBD.
In 2010, federal prosecutors brought charges against Evelyn Sineneng-Smith, a U.S. citizen who ran an immigration consultancy business in California, for taking money from illegal aliens to file frivolous visa applications while they remained in the country indefinitely. In 2013, Sineneng-Smith was convicted of violating a law, which prohibits inducing or encouraging illegal aliens to “come, enter, or reside” in the United States, including for financial gain.
Several years later, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law was overly broad and criminalized speech protected by the First Amendment. In turn, the Trump administration appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court pleading that the law is important to stopping those who enrich themselves by encouraging illegal immigration.
Please stay tuned to FAIR as we monitor these cases throughout the term.