One Supreme Court Justice Dissents in Major Illegal Immigration Case

Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court pose for their official photo at the Supreme Court in Washington on Oct. 7, 2022. (Front L–R) Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts, Justices Samuel Alito and Justice Elena Kagan. (Back L–R) Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito stood alone last week in opposing a majority ruling that Louisiana and Texas lacked standing to challenge a Biden administration immigration policy.

The high court, in an 8–1 decision (pdf), ruled that the state challengers lacked standing to file a lawsuit against the Biden administration’s immigration enforcement priorities that were unveiled in 2021. Last week, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas welcomed the the order, claiming that it clears the way for enforcement guidelines that he announced at the time.