Supreme Court to hear Trump immigration cases

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump’s administration will defend its plans for a southern border wall and its asylum policy in early 2021. The Supreme Court said Monday it would take up Wolf v. Innovation Law Lab and Trump v. Sierra Club.

What are the legal matters at play? The Sierra Club and other organizations challenged Trump’s plan to continue building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, saying the president could not pull money for construction from funds originally marked for other uses. In Wolf, migrant rights groups argue Trump’s 2018 Migrant Protection Protocols, which force some asylum-seekers to remain in Mexico while their cases are processed, violate federal and international law. If former Vice President Joe Biden wins the election and revokes Trump’s policies, the cases would most likely be dropped before arguments began.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Sophia Lee’s report on the MPP’s effect on migrants and the legal system.