Mar 5, 2026 04:45 AM
Justice Jackson authors unanimous SCOTUS opinion handing Trump an immigration win
Supreme Court rules federal courts must defer to immigration judges on asylum decisions
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson authored the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling Wednesday ordering federal appeals courts to defer to immigration judges when reviewing asylum decisions, bolstering the executive branch's authority in immigration cases and handing the Trump administration a win as it pushes an aggressive deportation agenda.
Jackson, a Biden appointee and one of three liberal justices on the high court, wrote that immigration laws require federal courts to use a "substantial-evidence standard" when reviewing immigration judges’ decisions about whether an asylum seeker could face "persecution" if deported.
Jackson emphasized the high bar courts must meet before overturning an immigration judge’s findings, potentially making it more difficult for migrants to challenge their deportations as the Trump administration cracks down on illegal immigration.
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