The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for the Trump administration to restrict a Biden-era policy. The policy lets immigration judges temporarily close deportation cases without dismissing them, which removes them from active dockets. According to The Washington Post, the justices turned away an appeal from three cities and an immigrant rights group that wanted to keep the policy in place. The justices did not explain their decision.
The practice, called administrative closure, has existed in various forms for decades. Government statistics cited in the report show that about 360,000 migrants have received it since 1990. Supporters say it helps judges manage heavy caseloads and gives some migrants, including crime victims and neglected children, time to pursue legal options. Critics call it a form of backdoor amnesty.
The Biden administration formalized the policy in 2024, after the first Trump administration tried to bar its use. When Trump returned to office in 2025, his administration stopped defending the rule. Texas challenged it in federal court, and a judge issued a permanent injunction blocking the policy. Baltimore, Columbus, Ohio, and New Haven, Connecticut, along with the immigrant rights group, were unsuccessful in their attempts to intervene before they appealed. Cases that have been administratively closed are not automatically reopened, but they remain pending and could return to active deportation proceedings.