WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court opens a crucial term this Monday, set to review significant cases that will test the limits of presidential power alongside critical matters concerning voting rights and LGBTQ+ protections.
The court's conservative majority has, so far, appeared responsive to various assertions of authority from the Trump administration. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson humorously referenced Calvin and Hobbes in relation to a decision that enabled a staggering cut of $783 million in research funding, quipping that the jurisprudence resembles a game without definitive rules.
Highlighting the court's potentially divisive agenda, Irv Gornstein, from the Supreme Court Institute at Georgetown University, noted that if the current ideological split persists throughout the term, it could culminate in one of the most polarizing sessions in recent history.
This term will witness the justices deliberating on Trump's tariffs, which face legal challenges questioning whether the president can impose such economic measures unilaterally. Lower courts have ruled against this idea, asserting that Congress retains control over taxation powers, but the administration argues that existing laws permit such regulation.
The court will also explore Trump's executive order aimed at eliminating birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. Past rulings have affirmed this citizenship right, making the outcome of this case particularly pivotal.
Equally impactful, the justices will hear a contentious case regarding congressional redistricting in Louisiana that may allow for significant changes to how districts are drawn, potentially undermining the representation of Black, Hispanic, or Native American communities.
Notably, the court is addressing laws prohibiting transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports, as several states enact regulations limiting such inclusion. Cases from Idaho and West Virginia, where lower courts have sided with transgender athletes, are now on the docket.
As the Supreme Court approaches this term, attention is also drawn to the future of Justice Samuel Alito, who may consider retirement, possibly paving the way for a younger conservative replacement should the political landscape shift.
