Key facts
- The Supreme Court is expected to decide eight remaining cases this week, many concerning President Donald Trump's claims of presidential power.
- Key cases include Trump's efforts to restrict birthright citizenship and his authority to fire independent agency heads.
- The court is also considering cases related to transgender athletes in sports, election laws, and geofence warrants.
- The conservative majority has been receptive to Trump's immigration policies, including ending temporary legal protections for immigrants.
- Justices have signaled skepticism regarding Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship and previously rejected his tariff powers.
- The oldest undecided case involves Trump's power to remove officials from independent agencies.
The Supreme Court is nearing the conclusion of a term heavily focused on President Donald Trump's assertions of presidential authority. Among the final eight cases to be decided this week are several that could significantly shape the scope of executive power.
Key issues before the court include Trump's attempts to limit birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants, his authority to dismiss heads of independent federal agencies, and his power to remove a sitting Federal Reserve governor. The justices are also deliberating on state laws concerning transgender athletes in public school and college sports, as well as election-related cases involving mail-in ballot deadlines and campaign finance limits.
Additionally, the court is reviewing the use of geofence warrants, which critics argue infringe on civil liberties by collecting location data from cell phone users near crime scenes. The court's conservative majority has previously shown receptiveness to Trump's immigration policies, recently allowing the administration to terminate temporary legal protections for individuals displaced by war or natural disasters, and may make it more difficult for asylum seekers to gain entry.
During oral arguments, the court's justices appeared skeptical of Trump's executive order that challenged the long-standing understanding of birthright citizenship. The court has also previously rejected Trump's claim of authority to impose broad tariffs under emergency powers, a decision that drew sharp criticism from Trump towards Justices Gorsuch and Barrett. The oldest pending case addresses the president's power to fire officials from independent agencies, with the court seemingly poised to overturn or significantly narrow a nearly century-old precedent requiring cause for removal.