Supreme Court Seems Sympathetic to City Trying to Ban Homeless Camps

Grants Pass, Oregon, says a lower court ruling has made it helpless to combat a growing problem.

Homeless rights activists hold a rally outside of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on April 22, 2024. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Conservative justices on the Supreme Court seemed receptive to an Oregon city’s argument on April 22 that the Eighth Amendment does not prevent it from prosecuting homeless people for sleeping outside.

City of Grants Pass v. Johnson comes as cities across the nation grapple with the growing homelessness crisis.