Limits of Presidential Power: supreme court takes case on trump effort to suspend asylum access at southern border

Trump’s border proclamation

The measures were part of the president’s effort to curb illegal immigration. The Supreme Court said Friday it would take up the resulting legal dispute.

Groups and migrants sue

In February 2025, three nonprofit groups and 13 people filed a class-action lawsuit challenging the proclamation and administration guidance. Several months later, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss set aside the restrictions, finding them unlawful.

Moss said neither the Constitution nor federal immigration law authorized the administration to replace procedures enacted by Congress. He also found that immigration law did not give the president unilateral power to limit noncitizens’ ability to seek asylum or other protections.

Appeals court backs ruling

The Trump administration appealed. In April, a divided three-judge panel upheld the district court’s decision, ruling that the proclamation and guidance exceeded presidential authority. The two judges in the majority also concluded that the president could not suspend migrants’ right to apply for asylum or deport them through the administration’s new summary removal proceedings.

Supreme Court to hear challenge

The Supreme Court’s decision to take the case sets up further review of the administration’s authority to restrict asylum access at the border. The article does not provide a date for arguments or a ruling.