Supreme Court to Review Border Metering Policy

The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will review a long-standing immigration policy that restricted asylum seekers from presenting claims at the U.S.-Mexico border, a practice known as metering that was used by multiple administrations to manage surges in arrivals.

The case, stemming from a challenge by the immigrant rights group Al Otro Lado and a group of asylum seekers, centers on whether federal law requires border officials to process asylum applications from migrants who approach ports of entry from the Mexican side. Lower courts in California ruled that the policy violated immigration statutes, prompting the Trump administration to appeal to the high court for clarification. Oral arguments are expected in late winter or early spring, with a decision likely by the end of the court's term in June.

Metering began in 2016 during the Obama administration, initially at the San Ysidro port of entry near San Diego in response to an influx of Haitian migrants. It involved U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents limiting the daily number of asylum seekers allowed to cross into the United States for processing, effectively requiring others to wait in Mexico. The policy...