In the coming weeks, US President Donald Trump will learn whether the Supreme Court’s rejection of his signature tariffs was an isolated setback or a sign of more adverse rulings to come.
USA Today reported on Wednesday (local time) that the Supreme Court must rule on at least 30 more cases before adjourning for the summer, including several that will test Trump’s broad view of presidential power. Some of the pending decisions could also have ramifications for the upcoming midterm elections in November.
Read also | The US Supreme Court expanded gun rights, reaching a limit in New York
While the two pending cases could strengthen protections for gun owners’ rights, other rulings will decide whether states can ban transgender athletes from competing on women’s sports teams, whether the maker of the popular weed killer Roundup can face lawsuits over alleged cancer risks without adequate warning, and whether the federal government can systematically turn away asylum seekers before they reach the U.S.-Mexico border.
Here is a list of cases expected to be decided by early July:
1. Birthright citizenship
After the Supreme Court ruled against Trump’s tariffs in January of this year, the US president predicted that the justices would also reject his effort to limit the right to automatic US citizenship. On the first day of his second term, Trump signed an executive order asking federal authorities not to recognize the citizenship of children born in the US if neither parent is a citizen or legal permanent resident. The order is widely perceived to face significant legal hurdles, and judges have several ways to block it.
According to reports, the justices could rule that Trump’s order violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.” Alternatively, the court could rule against the president more narrowly by declaring that his executive order violates the 1952 immigration law.
Read also | US Supreme Court signals skepticism about Trump’s birthright citizenship
2. Trans athletes
The LGBTQ+ community has suffered several setbacks in the past, including a decision announced in March when the Supreme Court struck down Colorado’s ban on “conversion therapy” for young people. The court found that the ban violated the Christian counselor’s right to free speech. Separately, the justices are also expected to uphold efforts in more than half of the states to bar transgender women and girls from competing on women’s sports teams. However, the court can stop deciding whether states are required to impose such bans and instead decide only whether they are permitted to do so.
3. Gun rights
Nearly four years after the Supreme Court expanded gun rights by creating a new “historical tradition” test for gun regulations, the justices continue to debate how that test should be applied to several laws. During arguments in the January case, the justices appeared inclined to strike down a Hawaii law that requires gun owners to obtain a permit before carrying firearms into stores or other private properties accessible to the public. In the past, property owners had the right to restrict weapons on their premises for a long time. However, Hawaii and several other Democratic-led states have changed the default rule by banning firearms unless owners specifically allow them, instead of allowing guns unless specifically prohibited.
In another gun-rights case, judges may loosen a federal law meant to keep firearms out of the reach of dangerous or irresponsible individuals.
4. Weedkiller cancer claims
There is currently a legal battle over whether the popular herbicide Roundup causes cancer. The dispute could either diminish or intensify, depending on whether judges allow the manufacturer to face lawsuits for allegedly failing to warn consumers of the potential cancer risks associated with its active ingredient, glyphosate. Although the case does not directly involve the US president, it is said to support Bayer, which acquired Roundup maker Monsanto in 2018.
5. Federal Reserve and Independent Agencies
While Supreme Court justices appeared unlikely to allow Trump to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, in another case, a majority of justices appeared poised to back Trump on the issue of presidential authority over other independent agencies. A decision in such a landmark case could reshape the operation of more than a dozen agencies and shift more power from Congress to the White House.
Read also | SC signals support for Fed Gov. Lisa Cook, questions Trump’s recall bid
6. Postal ballots and campaign expenses
In what is considered one of the biggest cases of the election season, the Supreme Court has already shaken up this year’s midterm elections. A sharply divided court on April 29 significantly limited the scope of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The justices made it harder for racial minorities to challenge electoral maps on grounds of discrimination.
Additionally, Republicans asked the justices to reject some states’ grace periods for late ballots. The case will test a Mississippi law that allows absentee ballots sent by Election Day to be counted if they are delivered within five days.
Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance, also hope the justices will strike down limits on how much parties can spend in coordination with candidates.
7. Immigration Restrictions
In another battle for presidential power, Trump has argued that the courts do not have the authority to interfere with his decision to end deportation protections for Syrians and Haitians. Cutting a humanitarian program that protects hundreds of thousands of immigrants is a key part of Trump’s broader push to tighten immigration policy.
With several politically and socially significant cases still pending, the coming weeks are expected to be crucial for Trump’s presidency.
Key things
- Upcoming Supreme Court decisions could significantly affect voting rights and immigration policy.
- Trump’s citizenship executive order faces potential legal hurdles from judges.
- The rulings could affect the political scene ahead of the midterm elections.
