Supreme Court to Review Trump’s Border Asylum Restrictions

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on November 13 to review President Donald Trump’s restrictions on asylum applications at the southern border, taking up the administration’s appeal of lower-court rulings that found the policy unlawful. The court’s decision will address whether the president can categorically bar covered migrants from applying for asylum under federal law.

The case, Mullin v. Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, concerns an executive order issued January 20, 2025. The order bars asylum claims by migrants covered by its restrictions. The policy has remained in place while the legal challenge proceeds, according to reporting on the case.

The Trump administration argues that the executive branch’s authority to decide asylum claims allows it to deny applications categorically and that it should not have to process claims it considers destined to fail. Government lawyers have also argued that lengthy asylum-processing backlogs previously contributed to increased border arrivals, as migrants were released into the United States while awaiting decisions.

Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigrant Justice Center argue...