The US Supreme Court is indefinitely upholding rules put in place during the pandemic that allow migrants to be turned back at the border, dashing the hopes of immigration advocates.
The restrictions were put in place under President Donald Trump at the start of the pandemic. Under these rules, authorities deported more than 2.5 million asylum seekers and turned back most of those who sought asylum at the border. The objective was to limit the entry of COVID-19 into American soil.
Immigration advocates have sued to end the policy, saying it violates US and international obligations to people fleeing to the United States to escape persecution. They also argued that these limits are no longer relevant now that there are vaccines and treatments for COVID-19.
The Supreme Court ruling comes as thousands of migrants have gathered on the Mexican side of the border, filling shelters and worrying defenders struggling to figure out how to deal with them.
The Supreme Court will now consider whether states have the right to intervene in the legal fight over this issue.
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