On Friday, left-leaning advocacy groups quickly reacted to the Supreme Court’s recent decision, which limited the ability of lower courts to issue broad national injunctions. Within just a couple of hours, these groups, including CASA and the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP), revised their legal challenges against Trump’s executive orders regarding birthright citizenship. They are now seeking class action status to represent all undocumented immigrants who might give birth to children in the U.S.
“This is definitely a significant moment for the administration, but there’s a concern that lower courts might still allow a wide variety of claims from pregnant non-citizens,” observed Professor Josh Blackman from the University of Houston. “In that case, the results could end up being pretty similar.”
They’ve also put forth a request for an emergency order to prevent further enforcement of the executive order, referencing concerns raised by Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
In line with the Supreme Court’s guidance, they’ve filed an amended complaint that specifically seeks relief for U.S.-born children. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), along with other progressive organizations, has also initiated a new class action lawsuit targeting this executive order.
Justice Samuel Alito commented that the Supreme Court’s ruling might undermine significant implications regarding class action recognition. He pointed out that if courts don’t adhere to established rules, then broad class relief might not hold much value.
Liberal legal expert Norm Eisen remarked that the ruling does not prevent national class action lawsuits aimed at achieving similar goals. Meanwhile, Carrie Severino, president of Judicial Crisis Network, interpreted Alito’s agreement as a sign that the courts are attentive to the issues at hand and are looking to limit expansive judicial interpretations.
In a statement, Severino declared, “This is a win for our separation of powers under the Constitution.”
President Trump described the ruling as a “major victory” during a press conference, indicating that it would enable his administration to move forward with various policies previously blocked by lower courts, such as funding restrictions for sanctuary cities and actions regarding healthcare for transgender minors.
According to reports, Attorney General John Saul mentioned that there had been about 40 universal injunctions stemming from one judge since January, obstructing Trump administration policies. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche noted that the ruling would free DOJ lawyers to focus on other priorities.
“Our attorneys have been working around the clock to counter these injunctions,” Blanche explained, adding that the ruling permits judicial handling of cases at lower levels without handcuffing the administration.
Justice Sotomayor, in her dissent, suggested that vulnerable immigrants could indeed launch class action lawsuits and request temporary injunctions, but she acknowledged the ruling’s limitations might restrict broad relief. Alito cautioned district courts to avoid interpreting this ruling as a green light for overly broad national actions that don’t align closely with procedural rules.
In essence, this decision could complicate or even resurrect broad injunctions if not carefully approached. Alito expressed that today’s outcome should not be dismissed as merely a theoretical debate.
