In its last major decision of a history-making term, the Supreme Court delivered a ruling the Biden administration will actually like. In a 5-4 vote, the court said President Biden can end a Trump-era immigration policy informally known as "Remain in Mexico," reports CNN. The Migrant Protection Protocols of 2019 stipulated that some migrants seeking asylum in the US had to remain in Mexico while their request was sorted out, per USA Today. In the decision, Chief Justice John Roberts (who wrote the majority opinion) and fellow conservative Brett Kavanaugh joined the court's three liberals.
The Trump administration put the policy in place, arguing it would help curb asylum applications that had no merit. President Biden rescinded the policy upon taking office, saying it exposed asylum-seekers to dangerous conditions. But after red-leaning states sued, a lower court declared that his administration hadn't provided an adequate reason for scrapping the policy, the Washington Post. The Supreme Court then took up the case. The decision comes amid a surge in migrants at the border, with April numbers at a 22-year high, notes USA Today. (More US Supreme Court stories.)