Justices to weigh 2 border policies

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear two cases involving Trump administration policies at the U. S. Mexico border: one that makes asylumseekers wait in Mexico for U. S. court hearings and a second about the administration’s use of money to fund the border wall.

The justices’ decision to hear the cases continues its practice of reviewing lower court rulings that have found President Trump’s immigration policies illegal over the past four years.

Most notably, the high court reviewed and ultimately upheld Trump’s travel ban on visitors from some largely Muslim countries. In June, the court kept in place legal protections for immigrants who came to the U. S. as children.

The justices will not hear either new case until 2021, and the outcome of the presidential election could make the cases go away, or at least reduce their significance. If Democrat Joe Biden wins the White House, he has pledged to end “Migrant Protection Protocols,” which Trump considers a cornerstone policy on immigration.

In the border wall case, much of the money has already been spent. Biden has said he would cease wall construction if elected but would not tear down what has been built.

The court has allowed both policies to continue even after they were held illegal by lower courts, a sign the challengers could face long odds when the justices decide the cases.

The Trump administration policy known informally as “Remain in Mexico” began in January 2019. It became a key pillar of the administration’s response to an unprecedented surge of asylumseeking families from Central America. More than 60,000 asylumseekers were returned to Mexico under the policy.