Lyle Denniston

With only 2 dissents, SCt gives firm legal protection to scores of Venezuelan migrants facing swift deportation by Trump team. Court doesn’t wait for lower courts to finish spelling out rights. Details at: lyldenlawnews.com/2025/05/16/mig…

SCt at historic hearing today seems eager to face constitutionality of Trump's birthright citizenship curb, even though that is not technically at issue. Watch for early order on what comes next. Details at: lyldenlawnews.com/2025/05/15/qui…

Tomorrow at 10, SCt goes to the bench for a special hearing, on the Trump ExOrder seeking to narrow birthright citizenship. Here is a link to a listener's guide for the broadcast of the audio: lyldenlawnews.com The Supreme Court, babies and citizenship

For the first time, a court has issued a final ruling that bars Trump Admin. from deporting non-citizens by using powers under a 1798 law. An appeal of the Texas judge's ruling is almost a certainty. Details at: lyldenlawnews.com/2025/05/02/tru…

Or, perhaps, who wud have been MORE generous to vets, switching to make that the maj. position? Maybe Sotomayor?

There is another puzzling thing, this in Thomas dissent. On p. 4, at end of recital of lower ct procdgs, he says: "We granted cert." That's usually what maj. opin. says. Cud it be this was once the majority opin., & someone switched? Who wd hv opted to be less generous to vets?

Hard to explain lineup in today's SCt ruling on benefits to fed employees who lose pay b/c called to active military duty: Sotomayor with 4 conservatives in majority favoring more generous result, Kagan and Jackson w/ Ct's 2 most conservatives JJ in dissent.

@DouglasKaneLaw Still looking for larger meaning of it. Maybe majority's view of what Congress means by legislating re national emergency might have some clue to Trump use of emergency powers, but that looks like a stretch.

Very good amicus filed in SCt birthright citizenship case by GWU prof. Alan Morrison. Faults DOJ for seeking stay with no arg. on the merits -- usually needed as part of plea for a stay. Brief filed 4-25 at SCt docket no. 24A884.

Three weeks out from the special SCt hearing on birthright citizenship, how is that controversy shaping up? Does the SCt even have the power to decide? Details at: lyldenlawnews.com/2025/04/25/how…

@capttomrath Well, so much for unaligned journalism about the Court. It was perhaps a strong possibility after the deep crisis within the founding family.

Thoughts in this @lylden ?

Pres. Trump is talking again about firing the Fed chair, Jerome Powell. That threat hangs over a pending SCt case on the broad question of presidential power to fire such officials. Details at: lyldenlawnews.com/2025/04/18/wil…

@WilliamBaude @GreenPastelRed The grant of a hearing on the stay request. The Court of course has the option of now calling for briefs on the merits, turning the stay application into a cert equivalent.

@GreenPastelRed What cert grant?

I'm disappointed in the Supreme Court's cert grant on the question of nationwide injunctions. Nationwide relief isn't the real issue and often makes sense. The correct response to the behavioral escalation of these lower court judges is *not* to change the legal doctrine.

@MichaelMcGough3 Thanks, Michael.

Good explainer.

SCt today set a hearing for May 15 on Trump Admin. Appeals on birthright citizenship issue. Will the Court use this to rule broadly, or only narrowly? Those issues explored at: lyldenlawnews.com/2025/04/17/cou…

Lawfare's Roger Parloff demolishes Trump Admin claim that Abrego Garcia was member MS-13 gang. But Roger may over-state SCt action: it told govt. to seek his "release from custody" but did not go on, as J. Xinis had, to mandate "return." That's fair read, but doesn't say that.

President Trump seems to be saying it is up to El Salvador to decide what to do with migrants sent illegally there from US incl. a Maryland man. What's going on here? Details at: lyldenlawnews.com/2025/04/13/is-…

@JudgeDillard Thanks, Judge; very good to hear from you!

@lylden Happy birthday! I hope you’re having a wonderful day.

Someone on here (can't figure out who) said nice things here about my work re SCt. Nicest part was they wished me well on 92d birthday. Special thanks for giving me back, unspent, 2 years.

@Steve_Lash Thanks much. Miss the Old Gang in SCt press room!

@lylden Happy Belated XCIV!