Here’s what conservatives need to know.
President Donald Trump is heading into another major Supreme Court showdown as the justices begin a new term packed with cases involving immigration, presidential power, voting requirements, religious liberty, gun rights and other closely watched constitutional questions.
The Supreme Court returns to the bench Monday with several disputes that could directly affect Trump’s second-term agenda. Although the Court has a 6-3 conservative majority — including three justices nominated by Trump — its recent decisions have shown that the administration cannot assume victory simply because a case reaches the nation’s highest court.
That uncertainty could make the new term especially important for the White House.
Trump’s Immigration Agenda Heads Back to Supreme Court
Immigration is expected to be one of the biggest issues confronting the justices.
The Supreme Court recently agreed to review two major cases involving Trump administration immigration policies.
One case will examine whether migrants receive adequate due process before the federal government can deport them to third countries where they have no established ties.
Another dispute centers on the administration’s mandatory detention policy, which has generated extensive litigation in federal courts.
Decisions in both cases are expected by summer.
The outcome could help determine how much authority the executive branch has when enforcing immigration laws and carrying out deportation policies.
Carrie Severino, president of the Judicial Crisis Network and a former law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas, said the large number of immigration-related cases reflects years of unresolved disputes surrounding enforcement.
She argued that the volume of immigration cases has created significant legal challenges as the Trump administration attempts to increase enforcement of federal immigration laws.
Trump Has Mixed Record With His Own Supreme Court Picks
Trump appointed Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett during his first administration, dramatically reshaping the ideological balance of the Supreme Court.
But those appointments have not guaranteed favorable outcomes for the president.
Trump recently acknowledged his frustration with some of the Court’s decisions.
“They voted against me too often,” Trump told Time magazine while discussing the three justices he nominated.
The president also acknowledged that they have ruled in his favor on other occasions.
That mixed record has become increasingly important as lower federal courts continue to hear challenges to administration policies.
When lower courts block presidential actions, the Supreme Court often becomes the final destination for the dispute.
Supreme Court Has Given Trump Both Wins and Losses
The previous Supreme Court term produced several significant victories for the administration.
The justices backed Trump in important disputes involving executive authority over independent federal agencies and portions of his immigration agenda.
But the president also suffered notable defeats.
The Court rejected his signature tariff policy, limited his effort involving birthright citizenship and prevented him from immediately removing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.
The justices have also declined to clear the way for Trump’s proposed changes involving mail-in voting ahead of the midterm elections.
Those rulings illustrate why the upcoming term could be difficult to predict.
A conservative Supreme Court does not necessarily mean the administration will prevail in every case.
ACLU Prepares for Another Active Supreme Court Term
Groups challenging Trump administration policies are also preparing for another busy year.
Cecilia Wang, national legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union, said the organization was involved in an unusually large number of Supreme Court disputes during the previous term.
She indicated that the current term could become even more active.
The ACLU and other organizations have frequently challenged administration policies involving immigration, civil liberties and executive authority.
Despite the Court’s conservative majority, those organizations have secured victories in several important disputes.
That has encouraged Trump opponents to continue bringing major constitutional challenges before the justices.
Justice Samuel Alito Addresses Political Criticism
Justice Samuel Alito has also spoken publicly about criticism directed at the Supreme Court.
During an interview with CBS News, Alito rejected the idea that the justices operate according to a partisan political agenda.
He noted that presidents and political leaders from both parties have criticized the Court when rulings did not go their way.
According to Alito, criticism from both former President Joe Biden and President Trump has at times been intense.
The comments come as political pressure surrounding the Court continues to increase.
Despite Trump’s criticism of some recent decisions, his relationship with individual conservative justices has not completely deteriorated.
Kavanaugh and Barrett were recently invited to attend a state dinner hosted for Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Supreme Court Approval Remains Near Historic Lows
The new term begins while public confidence in the Supreme Court remains weak.
A Gallup survey conducted in September found that 43% of Americans believed the Court was too conservative.
That represented a record high for that response in Gallup’s polling.
Slightly more than one-third of respondents said the Court’s ideological balance was approximately right, while 17% said it was too liberal.
Those numbers demonstrate how closely Americans are watching the institution as it handles some of the country’s most controversial political and constitutional disputes.
Proof of Citizenship Voting Law Reaches Supreme Court
Election law could become another major issue during the new term.
The justices are expected to hear a challenge involving an Arizona law requiring documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
Republicans have supported similar citizenship-verification proposals nationwide, arguing that states should take additional steps to confirm voter eligibility.
Supporters say such requirements can strengthen confidence in election integrity.
Critics contend that additional documentation requirements could create difficulties for otherwise eligible American voters.
The Supreme Court’s eventual decision could affect how states design voter-registration laws and may influence future federal election legislation.
Religious Liberty Cases Could Have National Impact
Religious freedom will also receive significant attention.
The Court is expected to consider several cases involving religious liberty and the relationship between government institutions and religious expression.
One closely watched dispute could involve a Texas law requiring public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments.
The ACLU has asked the Supreme Court to review the law.
Texas officials are expected to respond before the justices decide whether to formally accept the case.
If the Court agrees to hear the dispute, the case could become a significant test involving religious expression in public schools and the constitutional limits placed on government.
AR-15 Case Could Reshape Gun Laws
Second Amendment rights are also expected to appear on the Supreme Court’s docket.
The justices are preparing to consider the constitutionality of state restrictions on certain semi-automatic firearms, including AR-15-style rifles.
The dispute could become one of the most significant gun-rights cases to reach the Supreme Court in recent years.
Gun-rights advocates argue that states should not be permitted to prohibit firearms commonly owned by law-abiding citizens.
Supporters of the restrictions argue that state governments should have greater authority to regulate certain firearms as a public-safety measure.
A broad ruling could affect gun laws in several states and potentially establish new constitutional standards for future Second Amendment cases.
Major Climate Lawsuit Opens Supreme Court Term
The Court is also beginning its new term with a high-stakes dispute involving the fossil fuel industry.
The case centers on whether cities and other groups can use state laws to seek potentially billions of dollars in damages from energy companies accused of contributing to climate change while allegedly misleading the public.
The outcome could have major financial consequences for oil and gas companies while also determining how far state-based climate lawsuits can proceed.
The case attracted additional attention after Justice Alito announced that he would recuse himself.
Alito had faced questions involving possible conflicts connected to investments in the energy sector.
He later said stepping aside was a prudent decision, although he did not believe recusal was legally required.
Trump’s Relationship With Supreme Court Remains Complicated
Trump’s relationship with the Supreme Court has become one of the more unusual features of his presidency.
He helped establish the current conservative majority by appointing three justices, yet some of those same justices have rejected important parts of his agenda.
Trump has publicly criticized several decisions while continuing to praise the Court when it rules in his favor.
That dynamic is likely to continue as more administration policies reach the justices.
The central question will not simply be whether the Court is conservative.
Instead, many of the upcoming disputes will focus on how the justices interpret presidential authority, federal law and constitutional protections.
Supreme Court Term Could Shape Trump’s Second-Term Agenda
The stakes are substantial.
Cases involving immigration enforcement, voter citizenship requirements, religious liberty, gun rights, executive power and climate litigation could produce decisions affecting millions of Americans.
For Trump, several rulings could determine how much freedom his administration has to carry out major parts of its domestic agenda.
For Congress and state governments, the decisions could establish new limits on government authority and influence legislation for years.
And for voters, the Court’s rulings could affect issues ranging from border enforcement and election law to firearms ownership and religious expression.
The Supreme Court may have a conservative majority, but recent history shows that the outcome of Trump-related cases is far from guaranteed.
As the new term gets underway, the president is once again preparing to test the limits of executive authority before the nation’s highest court.
This time, some of the most consequential decisions of Trump’s second term could be in the hands of the very justices he helped put on the bench.