Supreme Court Backs Trump Administration in Green Card Deportation Case
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of the Trump administration, allowing immigration officials to place green card holders on immigration parole based on suspicion of criminal activity without requiring a full conviction first.
Supreme Court Backs Trump Administration in Green Card Deportation Case
The Supreme Court of the United States sided with the Trump administration on Tuesday in a significant case concerning the powers of federal authorities over lawful permanent residents, known as green card holders, who face accusations of criminal offenses.
By a 6-3 vote, the Court ruled that border and immigration officials may place a green card holder on immigration parole status even when there are only suspicions of involvement in criminal activity, without requiring prior full proof of guilt.
The case involved Muk Choi Lau, a lawful permanent resident of the United States who returned from a short trip to China in 2012. Upon arrival, immigration officials decided to place him on parole status because of charges against him related to counterfeiting and trafficking of imitation goods.
Later, Lau pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit clothing in New Jersey. However, he argued that the immigration officials' decision exceeded their authority and opened the door to expedited deportation proceedings before any judicial conviction.
The Supreme Court rejected this argument. In the majority opinion written by Justice Clarence Thomas, the Court stated that border officials had no obligation to prove with clear and convincing evidence that Lau had committed a crime of moral turpitude before making their decision.
"The border officials did not bear the burden of proving with clear and convincing evidence that Lau had committed an offense falling within the category of crimes involving moral turpitude," Thomas wrote.
A different view was expressed by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who authored the main dissenting opinion. Jackson argued that the immigration officials' decision essentially condemned Lau to a state of "immigration uncertainty" before he had been found guilty of any offense.
"I am concerned that the Court has now handed the government a massive blank check," Jackson wrote in her forceful dissent, which was joined by the two other liberal justices on the Court.
The decision comes at a time when the Supreme Court is examining a series of cases related to President Donald Trump's immigration policy and his broader effort to tighten border controls and restrict irregular migration.
Source: ekirikas.com
Source: Google News CY — Crime (el)