Supreme Court Seems Open to Trump Request to Block Asylum Seekers at Border
Source: New York Times
Supreme Court Seems Open to Trump Request to Block Asylum Seekers at Border
A policy of turning back many asylum seekers at the border was rescinded in 2021, but the Justice Department wants the flexibility to reinstate it as a tool for border control.
Migrants approved for asylum appointments with Customs and Border Protection lined up for permission to travel to the U.S. in Tapachula, Mexico, last year. Alejandro Cegarra for The New York Times
By Ann E. Marimow
Reporting from Washington
March 24, 2026
Updated 3:42 p.m. ET
A majority of Supreme Court justices seemed sympathetic on Tuesday to the idea that the Trump administration should be able to turn away asylum seekers along the U.S.-Mexico border.
If the court backs the administration, it will allow President Trump to revive a policy first used in 2016, in which the government stopped asylum seekers from setting foot on U.S. soil, where federal law would entitle them to try to claim asylum and receive protection from persecution.
Under federal law, any noncitizen who is “physically present in the United States” or “arrives in the United States” can apply for asylum. Migrants who announce their intention to do so are then referred for an interview to determine whether they have a credible fear of persecution.
At issue in the case is whether noncitizens must fully cross the border to gain the right to apply for asylum or whether they must be allowed to apply if they merely appear at the border and seek entry.
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Ann E. Marimow covers the Supreme Court for The Times from Washington.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/us/politics/supreme-court-trump-asylum-seekers.html
Ann E. Marimow used to cover the Supreme Court for the Washington Post. Their senior Robert Brparnes, retired about two years ago. Ann Marimow must have taken a buyout or was let go.
https://www.nytimes.com/by/ann-e-marimow