Dem
47
GOP
53
When it comes to the Supreme Court, Donald Trump wins some and he loses some. Yesterday, however, he won more than he lost.
Let's start with the "loss" part. The Court ruled unanimously that anyone deported under the Alien Enemies Act must be warned of their pending deportation and must be given an opportunity to challenge the decision in court. That finding should have been a slam dunk, and it was.
And now, the wins for Trump. By a vote of 5-4, the justices lifted the injunction that had been imposed on the use of the Alien Enemies Act. Consequently, the battle over the use of the law, and the battle over individual deportations, will have to be waged in federal court in Texas as opposed to federal court in Washington, DC. Needless to say, the Trump administration is much more likely to draw friendly judges in the former rather than the latter.
In addition, in another (small) win for the White House, Chief Justice John Roberts extended the deadline for the administration to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States. Garcia is the fellow who committed no crimes, and who was, even by admission of the White House, erroneously deported. Roberts wants to give the Supremes more time to consider the matter, so his decision doesn't necessarily reveal anything about the final disposition of the matter. On the other hand, you would think that this one would be another slam dunk, so maybe it does reveal something.
The upshot here is that, at least in the short term, the question of "Will Trump defy the Supreme Court" has been postponed. But the day will come... (Z)