Supreme Court, With No Noted Dissents, Lets a Texas-DOJ Deal Ending the Biden-Era 'Administrative Closure' Rule Take Effect
The 2024 rule let immigration judges pause some deportation cases. Texas sued, the Justice Department agreed, and the Court declined to block the result after Baltimore, New Haven and Columbus objected.
The Supreme Court has left in place a ruling that wiped out a Biden-era immigration court procedure, Fox News reports.
The rule. In 2024 the Biden administration formally set up "administrative closure," which let immigration judges temporarily pause certain deportation cases, including when a migrant was pursuing relief in another federal proceeding.
The deal. Texas sued the federal government in June, arguing the rule lacked legal authority. Instead of fighting, the Justice Department agreed with Texas and asked the judge to vacate the rule and bar similar ones. On the same day, District Judge Reed O'Connor, a George W. Bush appointee, granted the request.
The objection. Baltimore, New Haven and Columbus, Ohio, joined the legal group Centro Legal de la Raza in August to defend the rule on appeal. They said losing it could lead to deportations that cut tax revenue and that Texas and the federal government had engaged in "egregious collusion." O'Connor rejected their standing. On Oct. 9 they asked the Supreme Court to pause the judgment. Federal lawyers said they had not shown the concrete injury needed to sue.
The result. The Court, with no noted dissents, let the agreement take effect. The cities and the group said they were "deeply disappointed" and argued the pause procedure protected survivors of violence, abused children and witnesses who help law enforcement.
Note for readers: Fox reports no explanation from the Court. "Collusion" is the opponents' word; the Justice Department's position, as Fox describes it, is that Texas was right that the rule lacked legal authority.