The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled to allow the Trump administration to reinstate a policy limiting the number of eligible asylum seekers at the border, a policy previously used during the Obama and early Trump administrations.
On Thursday, 25 Jun 2026 GMT+7, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for President Donald Trump's administration to revive a previous immigration policy used to turn back asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Supreme Court justices voted 6-3 to overturn a lower court's injunction that had blocked this practice, which limits the number of asylum claims accepted daily. This policy originated during the Obama administration and was expanded and strictly enforced during Trump's first term.
Supporters of immigrant rights, who oppose this policy known as the Metering system, say it has created a humanitarian crisis by forcing thousands of migrants to remain stuck in unsafe temporary shelters while waiting their turn.
The Trump administration argued the policy is essential to managing and responding to the sharp increase in asylum seekers at the border.
However, the daily quota limits have not yet been immediately reinstated, despite other existing restrictions on asylum seekers. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not specified when the policy will resume but has expressed approval of the ruling.
"This decision gives us the opportunity to continue using an important tool to secure our southern border," said James Percival, DHS's general counsel.
Government lawyers argued that this queue management measure is a critical tool previously used by presidents from both political parties and should remain available for use.
Federal attorneys noted that those turned away at the border can reapply later, although in practice, during the policy's prior use, queues stretched to thousands of people.
This case is among several immigration-related legal battles currently before the Supreme Court, including Trump's efforts to limit birthright citizenship. On the same day, the court also ruled to allow his administration to end protections for migrants fleeing violence in their home countries, permitting their deportation.
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Source:apnews