Key facts
- The U.S. Supreme Court will hear cases on gun rights, LGBT rights, voting restrictions, and immigration detention in its upcoming term.
- A case concerning state bans on assault-style rifles, such as AR-15s, will be heard.
- The court will review Arizona's voter restrictions requiring proof of citizenship for registrants.
- A dispute over religious exemptions for Catholic entities from a Colorado preschool's nondiscrimination policy will be addressed.
- The legality of detaining convicted immigrants without bond hearings will be reviewed.
The U.S. Supreme Court is preparing for its next term, which begins in October, with a docket featuring significant cases on contentious issues including gun rights, LGBT protections, voting restrictions, and immigration policy.
The court, which holds a 6-3 conservative majority, has been moving American law in a more conservative direction. This term, it will consider appeals challenging state bans on assault-style rifles like the AR-15 in Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois. Gun rights advocates argue these weapons are in common use, while opponents describe them as weapons of war.
In voting rights, the court will hear a challenge to Arizona's law that requires proof of citizenship for voter registration and purges alleged non-citizens from voter rolls. This case pits Republican-led efforts to ensure election security against Democratic accusations of voter suppression.
A case involving the Trump administration's policy of detaining certain convicted immigrants without bond hearings will also be heard. Lower courts have previously ruled against such prolonged detention without due process.
Regarding LGBT rights, the court will examine a case from Colorado where Catholic entities are seeking an exemption from a preschool funding program's nondiscrimination requirement. This follows a previous rejection of a state law banning conversion therapy on free speech grounds.
Additionally, the court will hear cases involving major corporations, including a climate-related lawsuit against ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy, an antitrust dispute between Epic Games and Apple, and a trademark case involving PepsiCo.