Nearly 10 years in the making, the right to seek asylum is in the hands of the Supreme Court.
Dear John,
The ability to seek asylum is a fundamental right—one the United States has long promised to those fleeing persecution. But that promise has been broken time and time again at our southern border, for years and across presidential administrations since 2017.
Today on Human Rights Day, I’m writing with major news.
The American Immigration Council’s long-running case challenging the government’s “turnback” or “metering” policy—under which officials physically blocked people from accessing ports of entry to seek asylum—will now be reviewed by the Supreme Court. The justices are expected to hear the case, filed with partners on behalf of Al Otro Lado and individual asylum seekers, in the spring of 2026.
Our government’s policy left hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people stranded at the U.S.-Mexico border. Some waited for years, falling victim to cartel members and forced to live in squalid conditions, only to be told they couldn’t exercise a right protected by U.S. and international law.
While the fight moves to the highest court of the land, we know the rule of law is on our side. Both the district court and Ninth Circuit agreed the turnback policy was unlawful after we filed the lawsuit in 2017. Despite these rulings, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to review the case.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. The Supreme Court’s decision will determine whether the United States continues to honor its most basic humanitarian commitment.
