SCOTUS justices pause reinstatement of remain-in-Mexico policy, won’t stop Obama center construction
Supreme Court justices on Friday acted on two requests to block court rulings on immigration and construction of a presidential center that is opposed by environmentalists.
In the immigration case, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. temporarily blocked a court ruling that would have required reinstatement of the Trump administration’s policy requiring asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while their cases are pending.
Alito’s grant of a limited stay expires at midnight on Tuesday if no further action is taken, report SCOTUSblog and the New York Times via How Appealing.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of Amarillo, Texas, had ordered reinstatement of the policy effective Aug. 20, saying the federal government had failed to consider its benefits, which included deterring migrants who are ineligible for asylum.
The stay gives the full court time to decide whether to block Kacsmaryk’s ruling.
In the other case, Justice Amy Coney Barrett refused to temporarily block construction of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Jackson Park on the South Side, report the Chicago Tribune and CNBC.
Environmentalists claim the new building will result in the loss of at least 800 trees and create “serious environmental impacts.” The center will include a museum, a public library and an athletic center.
