The three cases, which reached the court before Democratic President Barack Obama left office, all deal broadly with the degree to which non-citizens can assert rights under the U.S. Constitution. They come at a time when the court is one justice short and divided along ideological lines, with four conservatives and four liberals. The Trump administration has said it wants to end the release of immigrants facing deportation and speed up the process for ejecting them from the country. Trump has also threatened to withhold federal funding from so-called “sanctuary cities” that offer protections to immigrants who could face deportation. The three cases are separate from litigation over the legality of Trump's travel ban, which could also ultimately be decided by the high court.

Source: Sunday Times February 17, 2017 17:34 UTC