Justices decline guns, police, immigration cases

WASHINGTON—It’s officially summer in the District of Columbia when the nation’s highest court goes on its end-of-session decision spree. On Monday, justices turned down challenges to rules that shield police officers from monetary lawsuits. The doctrine of qualified immunity came under fire in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police in late May. Justices Clarence Thomas and Sonia Sotomayor have said in the past they wanted to review the doctrine, and Thomas wrote a six-page dissent against the decision not to hear any of the eight separate cases.

What else happened at the court today? In addition to ruling on LGBT workers’ rights, the justices let stand lower court rulings that allow California cities to provide sanctuary for potentially illegal immigrants. President Donald Trump’s administration had sued the state, arguing the law made the deportation of illegal immigrants more difficult. The court also declined to hear challenges to gun control laws in four states. Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Thomas dissented, wanting to hear a New Jersey case about openly carrying a gun for self-defense.

Dig deeper: Read Harvest Prude’s report in The Stew about the debate on Capitol Hill over how to best reform policing in the United States.