Anyone who has applied for a passport, filed for Social Security benefits, or sought a license understands the government’s affinity for forms.”
While that quote seems like a great lede for a column, it turns out to be an even better beginning to a U.S. Supreme Court decision. It is, in fact, the first line in an opinion written by Justice Neil Gorsuch that will have a significant effect on immigrants across the country.
Writing for the 6-3 majority in Niz-Chavez v. Garland, Colorado native Gorsuch rendered yet another opinion sure to shock anyone who insists that judges are beholden to the political interests of those who appoint and approve them. In Gorsuch’s case, it likely comes much to the consternation of former President Donald Trump and many of the 51 Republican senators who confirmed him.
Coming less than a year since Gorsuch penned a seminal opinion on LGBTQ rights in Bostock v. Clayton County, Gorsuch has quickly become the most influential member of the current Supreme Court.
