Supreme Court Weakens Green Card Protections, Siding With Trump on Immigration Detention

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of the Trump administration, significantly weakening due process protections for lawful permanent residents. The decision, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, allows border officials to temporarily strip green cards from immigrants reentering the country based on criminal accusations alone, without requiring "clear and convincing evidence" of crimes. The ruling gives immigration officers exceptional discretion to place green card holders on immigration parole rather than standard admission, making them vulnerable to detention and removal. Civil rights advocates, including the ACLU, described the decision as giving the government a "blank check" to bypass protections normally afforded to permanent residents. The case centered on Muk Choi Lau, a green card holder placed on immigration parole in 2012 when returning from abroad after being accused of counterfeiting. The three liberal justices dissented, warning the ruling creates a dangerous preceden...

"The officials do not need to have 'clear and convincing' evidence of offenses at the time of the decision to suspend the status of a Lawful Permanent Resident." — From Justice Clarence Thomas's majority opinion in the 6-3 Supreme Court ruling