US Supreme Court clears way for Trump administration to revive migrant asylum limits at Mexico border

The US Supreme Court allowed a policy that limits asylum applications at the border to potentially return.

June 25, 2026 22:25 IST

A group of migrants wait to be processed between two border walls separating Mexico and the United States after crossing illegally before dawn. (AP file photo)

The US Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to possibly reinstate a policy that limited how many migrants could apply for asylum at the US-Mexico border. The court ruled 6–3 on Thursday and removed a lower court order that had stopped the policy.

The policy is known as “metering.” It allowed border officials to limit the number of asylum applications processed each day, reported AP. Many migrants had to wait in Mexico for their turn.

The policy is not active right now. But the ruling makes it possible for the policy to return in the future. The government said the system helped manage pressure at busy border crossings. Critics said it forced migrants to wait in unsafe conditions.

Supreme Court’s decision

The court agreed with the government’s view that migrants who have not entered the US do not have the same right to apply for asylum inside the country.

Justice Samuel Alito said, “A guest does not arrive in a house when he knocks on the front door,” as reported by AP

The policy was first used under Barack Obama and later expanded under Donald Trump’s first term. It was stopped in 2020 and ended fully under Joe Biden in 2021, reported AP.

Details of policy

US law allows people to ask for asylum if they are on US soil and fear persecution in their home country. Supporters of the policy said it helped manage overcrowding at the border.

Opponents said it blocked access to asylum and left many people waiting in unsafe conditions outside the US.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor disagreed with the ruling. She said the decision weakened asylum protections and harmed the spirit of US refugee law, reported AP.

Supreme Court backs Trump move to end temporary protected status for Haitians and Syrians

The US Supreme Court also allowed Trump administration to end temporary legal protections for migrants from Haiti and Syria. The 6–3 decision overturned lower court orders that had blocked the move, clearing the way for the Department of Homeland Security to proceed with ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for affected groups, reported AP.

TPS is a program that protects people from deportation when their home countries face war, natural disasters, or serious instability. It currently covers about 1.3 million people from 17 countries. The ruling could affect hundreds of thousands of migrants, including around 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians.

Justice Samuel Alito wrote that “The Secretary’s TPS designation decisions are not subject to judicial review.” The majority accepted the government’s view that courts should not interfere in decisions about ending temporary protections, reported AP.

This article was first uploaded on June twenty-five, twenty twenty-six, at twenty-five minutes past ten in the night.