Supreme Court Says Alito Misread Sotomayor Dissent Notice in 6-3 Asylum Case
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jun 26
Supreme Court Says Alito Misread Sotomayor Dissent Notice in 6-3 Asylum Case
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Jun 26
Summary
A court spokesperson said Justice Alito had been told in advance that Justice Sotomayor would read a bench dissent, calling his public reaction a misunderstanding.
Thursday’s exchange came after Sotomayor delivered a rare oral dissent in a 6-3 ruling that upheld the government’s ability to turn back asylum seekers before they reach US soil.
Alito, who had just summarized the majority opinion, said he would have added more to his bench statement had he known a dissent would be read, then briefly returned to defend the policy as orderly and humane.
The unusual clarification lands as the court nears the end of its term with more opinions due Monday, amid visible strains in cases involving Trump and other culture-war disputes.