The Supreme Court is needlessly shrouded in mystery. Among other things, it doesn't announce which opinions are coming ahead of time, causing unnecessary anxiety and buildup. Today is a rare exception. Chief Justice John Roberts announced Thursday, as he customarily does on the second-to-last opinion day, that Friday will be the last day for the term's opinions. Six cases remain, tackling issues like age verification for porn sites, an unusual case of redistricting in Louisiana and whether Maryland parents should be able to keep their kids away from LGBTQ-themed books. (These don't include rulings that could drop at any time on the court's so-called shadow docket.) But one of the most highly anticipated decisions will address the question of birthright citizenship (sort of). The focus here is on a procedural aspect of the litigation, specifically relating to the practice of nationwide injunctions. Still, the injunction issue is important in its own right and extends beyond the citizenship question, and whatever the justices say about injunctions will affect the underlying citizenship litigation, too. This is a preview of Jordan Rubin's latest column. Read the full column here. |
