US Supreme Court sides with Trump administration on immigration case

The US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration Tuesday in a case concerning the government's authority over green card holders accused of criminal offenses.

The case involved a 2012 decision by immigration officials to place lawful permanent resident Muk Choi Lau on immigration parole when he returned from a visit to China, citing allegations that he had been involved in a counterfeiting offense.

Lau contended that the officer exceeded his legal authority by taking the action. He argued that the decision improperly enabled the Department of Homeland Security to quickly initiate deportation proceedings after he later pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit clothing in New Jersey.

The high court disagreed. “Border officers did not have the burden to establish by clear and convincing evidence that Lau had committed a crime involving moral turpitude,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the opinion. “Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the Government can remove aliens applying for admission to the country if they are ‘inadmissible,’ and it can remove aliens already admitted if they are ‘deportable.’”

The decision comes as the Supreme Court reviews several immigration cases amid President Donald Trump’s broad immigration crackdown, though this case began before he took office.

The administration argued that suspected criminal activity is sufficient to place a lawful permanent resident, or green-card holder, on immigration parole, urging the court to adopt a broad view of executive immigration powers.