A majority of Supreme Court justices seemed sympathetic on Tuesday to the idea that the Trump administration should be able to turn away asylum seekers along the U.S.-Mexico border.
If the court backs the administration, it will allow President Trump to revive a policy first used in 2016, in which the government stopped asylum seekers from setting foot on U.S. soil, where federal law would entitle them to try to claim asylum and receive protection from persecution.
Under federal law, any noncitizen who is “physically present in the United States” or “arrives in the United States” can apply for asylum. Migrants who announce their intention to do so are then referred for an interview to determine whether they have a credible fear of persecution.
