Story perspectives

Supreme Court 6-3 Ruling Restores Pre-Entry Asylum Metering

6/25/2026

Summary

Story summary

Supreme Court 6-3 decision on June 25, 2026 allows turn back of asylum seekers before they set foot on U.S. soil.
Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority, defining “arrive” as physical entry, while Justice Sonia Sotomayor, with Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented, warning the ruling endangers migrants.
Ruling overturns a 2024 Ninth Circuit decision and clears the way to reinstate the “metering” practice rescinded by President Joe Biden.

History

Historical Context

Congress passed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act in 1996, which President Bill Clinton signed, creating expedited removal and limiting asylum review. The law spurred the DOJ and Ninth Circuit to process more than 1.5 million removals each year, a 30 percent rise. In 2024 Justice Samuel Alito’s majority revived the pre-Biden “metering” practice, echoing that 1996 enforcement push.

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Story summary

Supreme Court 6-3 decision on June 25, 2026 allows turn back of asylum seekers before they set foot on U.S. soil.
Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority, defining “arrive” as physical entry, while Justice Sonia Sotomayor, with Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented, warning the ruling endangers migrants.
Ruling overturns a 2024 Ninth Circuit decision and clears the way to reinstate the “metering” practice rescinded by President Joe Biden.

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