Trump Administration Can Block Immigration Judges From Closing Deportation Cases

The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for the Trump administration to restrict a Biden-era policy that allows immigration judges to use their discretion to close thousands of deportation cases each year.

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Critics call the procedure, known as “administrative closure,” a form of backdoor amnesty.

After the first Trump administration tried to bar judges from using administrative closure, the Biden administration codified the practice in 2024. It has been going on in some form for decades, with roughly 360,000 migrants granted administrative closure since 1990, according to government statistics.

The cases are closed, but not dismissed, so they could now be reopened.

When Trump returned to office last year, the administration announced it would no longer defend the Biden-era policy. Texas then challenged the rule in a federal court in that state.

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