WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled in favor of the Trump administration in an immigration dispute testing the federal government’s authority over lawful permanent residents who hold green cards.
In a 6-3 decision, the justices examined a 2012 move by an immigration officer who placed green-card holder Muk Choi Lau on immigration parole after he returned from a brief overseas trip, citing allegations that Lau had been involved in a counterfeiting offense.
Lau contended that the officer went beyond the limits of his legal power and that the action improperly cleared the way for the Department of Homeland Security to move quickly toward deportation proceedings after Lau pleaded guilty to trademark counterfeiting.
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The ruling arrives as the high court weighs several major immigration questions amid President Donald Trump’s broad enforcement campaign, although this particular case began before Trump entered the White House.
The administration maintained that merely being suspected of a crime can justify placing a lawful permanent resident, commonly referred to as a green-card holder, on immigration parole.
Government lawyers pressed the justices to adopt a broader interpretation of the executive branch’s power in immigration matters.
The Supreme Court is also reviewing other immigration-related fights, including Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship, a possible revival of a more restrictive asylum policy, and the termination of temporary legal protections for migrants escaping war or natural disasters in their home countries.
