Supreme Court Term Begins With Immigration, Religious Rights and Climate Cases
The Supreme Court begins its new term with high-profile cases regarding climate change liability, immigration policy, religious rights, and voting laws.
The Supreme Court’s new term begins Monday with a docket featuring cases on climate change, religious rights, and President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
Climate change litigation leads the agenda. The justices will hear an appeal from energy companies Suncor and ExxonMobil. which are attempting to block dozens of lawsuits seeking to hold them liable for damage related to climate change. The case originates in Boulder. Colorado. where local officials argue the industry should help cover the escalating costs of disasters linked to climate change. The companies. supported by the Trump administration. contend that the litigation is an attempt to impose emissions regulations through the court system rather than through proper legislative channels.
Two immigration cases will also come before the court regarding the administration’s enforcement tactics. The first concerns the deportation of migrants to countries where they have no ties. a practice conducted under a series of often-secret agreements. While the Supreme Court has allowed these flights to continue. it will now consider overturning lower court orders that provided migrants an opportunity to object. The second case addresses a mandatory detention policy for immigrants living in the United States illegally. The administration argues it may hold individuals without a bond hearing. a position that most appeals courts that have considered the issue have rejected.
In November, the court will hear a religious rights case involving St. Mary Catholic Parish and Colorado’s universal preschool program. The school was excluded from the taxpayer-funded program due to its faith-based admissions policies, which exclude children from LGBTQ+ families. Colorado officials state that while religious schools are welcome to participate, they must comply with nondiscrimination laws. The program, which provides public funding for preschools selected by parents, was established by a 2020 ballot measure.
Voting laws in Arizona are also set for review in December. The case involves Republican-backed measures that require individuals to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote using a state form and call for regular purges of voter rolls if citizenship cannot be confirmed. This legal challenge arrives following President Trump’s unsuccessful effort to pass federal legislation requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration through Congress.
Separately, the court will consider the constitutionality of state-level bans on semiautomatic rifles in December. About a dozen states have prohibited weapons such as the AR-15. citing their frequent use in mass shootings as a justification to reduce gun violence. Challengers argue these laws violate the Second Amendment. noting that such rifles are among the most popular and commonly owned firearms in the country.
Supreme Court immigration climate change religious rights voting laws Trump administration Suncor ExxonMobil