The Supreme Court opens its new term Monday facing decisions on the so-called Dreamers, LGBTQ rights, religion and abortion.
The justices will decide whether President Trump may revoke the Obama-era protections for more than 700,000 young immigrants, known as Dreamers, who were brought to the country illegally as children. And they will rule on whether the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — which forbids job discrimination “because of sex” — protects gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual or queer employees from being fired.
The cases come before a court with five conservatives appointed by Republicans and four liberals appointed by Democrats.
Compared with the relative calm of last year, this term’s lineup of cases will almost surely spark more ideological splits, predicted Irv Gornstein, director of the Supreme Court Institute at Georgetown Law School. “We will likely see a court moving further and faster in a rightward direction,” he said. “The docket almost guarantees it.”
But the wild card again may be Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who often strives to show that the high court, unlike the rest of official Washington, is not divided along political lines.
“When you live in a politically polarized environment, people tend to see everything in those terms,” Roberts said last month at an appearance in New York City. “That is not how we at the court function.”
California and 21 other states have laws that forbid discrimination based on sexual orientation, but Congress has not added such explicit protection to federal law.
On Nov. 12, the court will hear the case of the Dreamers vs. President Trump. Shortly after Trump took office, his administration said it would reverse President Obama’s order that granted relief from deportation and allowed work permits to be issued to 700,000 young immigrants who arrived as children.
However, Trump’s advisors did so by claiming that Obama’s order, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), was unconstitutional and illegal. A judge in San Francisco and the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the reversal on procedural grounds. Those judges said Obama’s order was entirely legal and therefore cannot be rescinded based on a false claim.
The justices are also weighing religious-rights appeals from Catholic Social Services in Philadelphia, which says it was removed from the city’s foster care system because it refused to place children with same-sex couples, and from a Christian florist in Washington state who was charged with violating the state’s civil rights law for refusing to provide flowers for a same-sex wedding.
“This could be one of the most consequential terms for religious freedom in a very long time,” said Luke Goodrich, a lawyer for the Becket Fund on Religious Liberty.Full story at LA Times.
Elections have consequences. My informal sense is there will be few, if any, 8-1 or higher decisions. While most will be 5-4, and narrowly reasoned, I do expect a few ‘surprises’ both ways. Enjoy!
I don’t think the attorney from Becket goes far enough. It is hard to imagine a court so poised to make so many consequential decisions in a single court season. What is not even mentioned here is is that the Court will likely have to decide on a record number of subpoenas issued by state courts, federal courts, and the Congress itself against people attempting to obstruct justice by simply ignoring those subpoenas. It is likely that for the second time in history, during this session, the Chief Justice will have to sit as judge in an impeachment trial in the US Senate. Given that at least half the country is up in arms over the fact that one justice was seated without a thorough hearing of his history as an accused sex abuser, and another only got on the court because one political party refused – for almost an entire year – his Constitutional obligation to advise and consent on a nomination by a sitting President, they best be cautious if they have any notion of upsetting standing precedent, or if they in any way play to their political favorites. If the court tilts too far in the conservative direction, the 2020 election will go down as one of the biggest landsldes in history, against Trump and his Republican sycophants, and Democrats will reasonably demand sweeping court reforms. So, my fellow catholics, be wary of what you wish for.
What dreamworld do you live in? There may be a landslide for Democrats in California, but not in the great middle and south of the U.S. And your assessment of the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings is just wrong. Most fair-minded Americans still seethe with anger at the Democrats for the way they treated Justice Kavanaugh. And as far as not confirming Garland, there is debate among legal scholars on whether the Constitution requires the Senate to act at all. You need to be careful about spending so much time in a political echo chamber. Get out and listen to opinions other than your own, though, if you live in the Bay Area, that may be difficult to do.
Anon, surely you jest! Or, do you really believe the “great and unmatched” tweet? While many good hearted people agree that our political pendulum has swung too far to the left and want change, they are beginning to realize how mentally unstable our current leader has become.
First, I wouldn’t know a Tweet if it came up and bit me in the rear — don’t get them, don’t read them, don’t know why people are so fascinated by them. Would be willing to bet, however, that you reside within 100 miles of the Bay Area in California. There’s something in the air in that region that fogs the mind and prevents clear thinking.
Anon, I’m in the clear. I am 101 miles from the center of The City, so they have no influence on me. I did, however, receive a pretty good grounding in the civics classes I took in high school in a very conservative New England state. But, I digress … Ours is a unique experiment in governance. Never before had a nation formed a government that started with “We the people.” Three equal branches of government with responsibility for checking on each other. It is the responsibility to investigate the Executive branch and consent to the members of the Court. It is the duty of the Executive to enforce the laws of the Congress. It’s a simple process, but one that requires cooperation and trust. Our nation is at a crossroads that will determine if it survives as a free democratic republic.
Bob One trusts the deep state…..
“they are beginning to realize how mentally unstable our current leader has become.” only to people like you who swallow every word the main stream media spoon feeds you
Bohemond…Too bad the clueless on here fail to realize that the unhinged, deranged Left are the ones who are the unstable ones.
Hi Anonymous. Exactly one month after Kavanaugh was confirmed, the Dems picked up 41 seats in the House. I’d call that a landslide. Since then, many more Repbublican house members have announced their retirement.
And my post was even before 45 pulled the rug out from under the most effective fighters defeating ISIS, subjecting them to massacre, and angering even his own party and his own employees and former employees.
I wonder how much Fox News you watch?
YFC,
I won’t comment on the size of the loss, but this was a mid-term election. It would have been miraculous if the Republicans didn’t lose seats.
YFC will soon be overseeing the thought crime tribunal.
Offering to divert US military aid in exchange for help with a foreign power’s help with his political campaign is not a thought crime, it is an actual crime (probably several, actually).
YFC no such crime was committed only in the myopic liberal world view… I can see you support a 2nd attempted coup because you and your crowd didn’t agree with the results of the 2016 election. If he is removed from office may it lead to the civil war that I have been hoping for. We can finally settle all the arguments once and for all….
What a joke! The corruption by Hillary, Brennan, Comey, Obama, Biden, etc. makes Trump look like an altar boy!
The only crime being committed is an attempted coup by the ruling class because you didn’t like the result of the 2016 election May the power of hatred purfiy this country of leftist filth
OMG Bohemond just WOW.
“it lead to the civil war that I have been hoping for. We can finally settle all the arguments once and for all….”
Bohemond calls for a civil war. Let THAT sink in for a bit.
Bohemond you might need to get a bit a hold of your britches, here, my man. You say that “The only crime being committed is an attempted coup by the ruling class because you didn’t like the result of the 2016”
Repubicans ARE the ruling class, my good fellow!!!
Have ya been a bit inta the rum my good man?
And the Democrats are not part of the ruling class?? I pretty much detest both parties, their policies on both sides have gutted the middle class, destroyed our manufacturing base, have lead to an unaccountable administrative state, codified child murder and sodomy. Perhaps its time for open conflict… to settle the scores
Without a thorough hearing ? Interesting.
YFC, Kavanaugh was falsely accused you bought the line of lying Dr. Ford. That whole charade was setup by progressives/feminists who cannot stand that fact they lost an election that had consequences. It goes to show how evil the Left, when they lose an election they will do anything to enforce their will, lie, slander etc it doesn’t matter they do it.
And be wary of comments by YFC, who clearly has a left-wing axe to grind.
JUST THE FACTS PLEASE: Just the Facts include record House landslide in 2018, the majority of Americans who want impeachment hearings, and Trump is the only President to never see >50% improval ratings after his first month in office, and his 3 million vote popular vote loss to Clinton (and even more if you include the 3d party candidates). Never had a mandate for huge change, and I think he will be out of office by this Christmas, or very early in January. I appreciate the fact that you probably watch the most biased “news” station on TV, and probably never touch more reliable sources.
Please don’t make us laugh….And are these polls similar to the ones confirming Hillary as President? And how many illegal, dead, or double votes were included in those 3 million voters? Reliable news sources like Stalin’s NY Times, or deranged CNN and MSNBC. Dream on. Wait until Barr’s findings….
YFC if he is forced out of office it will be he overturning of an election by the ruling class, this an attempted coup if it succeeds I pray for violent uprising against the Washington ruling and elites like one that’s never been before. May it brutal and long with end results being the final destruction of the ruling and globalist class (cal catholic editors print all of this)
Too many leftist “politically correct” politicians, lawyers and judges, have used our Courts to wrongly obtain their immoral interests and goals! We have an extremely immoral country– and the way to fix things, is really not through the Courts! First– we need the churches to preach and teach God’s Law, the way that God wants us all to live! When we again have a well-formed, true Christian culture– then, it will be easy, to enact good laws! And everyone will support these good laws!
Substitute “right” for “left” and “right-wingers” for “leftists” in the posts above and a more accurate picture emerges. The framers of the U.S. Constitution never intended a president to act in an authoritarian manner such as the current occupant of the White House does who is also a comrade of Putin’s.
Rep. Pelosi iand the “Squad” are likewise hard-nosed authoritarian leftist-liberals!
Anon, an authoritarian leftist-liberal is an oxymoron. You are either authoritarian or a leftist, you can’t be both.
Bob One, so Stalin wasn’t a leftist? I understand that in your leftist world view your side has never and can never be accused let alone be found guilty of crimes no matter how much blood has been spilled in the name of the Left
Bo, Stalin was a dictator and a communist, but not a liberal. A liberal could never tolerate a dictator because it is the opposite of liberalism. Liberals believe in free speech, equal and fair treatment of people, the opportunity offered by education, etc. etc. It wasn’t the liberals who maintained slavery and then segregation in our country. On the other hand, I suppose the liberals have done some really bad things to our country: social security, medicare, Peace Corp, oh well …
Liberals believe in Free Speech. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha……I guess you haven’t seen your centers of lower learning aka Universities which now have speech codes and safe spaces for those precious little day care graduates who cannot handle an opposing opinion. As for social security and medicare both will be bankrupt within 10 years well done liberal well done….
Anon is absolutely right. The socialist hard left has become authoritarian, fascist and undemocratic, Might seem like an oxymoron but that’s exactly what they’ve become.
I think you’re a little confused. It is the Pro-Death Socialist Left who are the the unstable ones.
The Russian “hoax” has been debunked.