The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law established by Congress requiring the deportation of foreign nationals who illegally enter the country.
The court ruled on three consolidated cases in Campos-Chaves v Garland that were on appeal in the Fifth and Ninth circuits, where the appellate courts issued conflicting rulings.
The lawsuits were brought by foreign nationals who illegally entered the country, were deemed “inadmissible” under federal law and given Notice to Appear (NTA) documents stating they must appear before an immigration court at a future date and time. Each of the plaintiffs didn’t show up to their hearings, and federal immigration judges ordered their removal in absentia in accordance with federal law established by Congress.
In response, the illegal foreign nationals sued, demanding their removal orders be rescinded, claiming they didn’t receive proper written notification. They also challenged the definitions of the word “change” in the order they received and made other technical arguments.
The court ruled against them by a 5-4 vote. Justice Samuel Alito delivered the mahority opinion for the court, with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett concurring.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson filed the dissenting opinion, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch.
The majority held that the federal government followed the law and provided the proper notification. The minority argued it didn’t and the federal government “persisted with its practice of issuing facially defective NTAs.”
