‘Green cards’ before high court

Some could be prevented from applying for U.S. residency

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court appeared ready Monday to prevent thousands of people living in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons from applying to become permanent residents.

The justices seemed favorable, in arguments via telephone, to the case made by the Biden administration that federal immigration law prohibits people who entered the country illegally and now have Temporary Protected Status from seeking “green cards” to remain in the country permanently.

The case pits the administration against immigrant groups that contend federal law is more forgiving for the 400,000 people who are TPS recipients. Many have lived in the U.S. for many years, given birth to American citizens and have put down roots in this country, their advocates say.

The Justice Department says it is maintaining a position held consistently for 30 years by administrations of both parties.

The case before the court involves a couple from El Salvador who have been in the country since the late 1990s. People from 10 other countries are similarly protected. They are Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.

In other developments:

■ The Supreme Court seemed inclined Monday to say that hundreds of millions of dollars in coronavirus relief money tied up in court should benefit Alaska Natives rather than be spread more broadly among Native American tribes around the U.S. A decision in the case is expected by the end of June.

■ The Supreme Court on Monday said it will not hear a case out of Pennsylvania related to the 2020 election, a dispute that had lingered while similar election challenges had already been rejected by the justices. The high court directed a lower court to dismiss the case as moot.

■ Civil liberties groups are asking the Supreme Court to give the public access to opinions of the secretive court that reviews bulk email collection, warrantless internet searches and other government surveillance programs. The Justice Department had no comment on the filing Monday. Its response is due at the court by late May.

■ The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from a Kentucky man whose pickup was seized at the Mexican border and held by the federal government for more than two years.

■ The Supreme Court is leaving in place an appeals court decision that upheld Tennessee’s rationing of life-saving hepatitis C drugs to prisoners as constitutional.