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Key U.S. Supreme Court justices sound skeptical of Texas' argument to throw out Affordable Care Act

Key justices on the U.S. Supreme Court seemed skeptical Tuesday morning of Texas’ argument that if one key provision of the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, the entirety of the sprawling health law must fall. He pointed to various pieces of the law which describe the individual mandate as an “essential” part of the law that powers the rest of its functions. Whether the individual mandate itself survives was less clear. Texas has won early success in the case, with a federal judge declaring the entire law unconstitutional in a ruling that has been put on pause as litigation proceeds. Hawkins, who argued for Texas at the high court on Tuesday, is one of a few senior deputies who remained at the agency after the scandal.

U.S. Supreme Court rejects Texas Democrats' effort to expand voting by mail during pandemic

The United States Supreme Court in Washington on June 11. Reynolds Stefani/CNP/ABACA via REUTERSThe U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an initial bid by state Democrats to expand voting by mail to all Texas voters during the coronavirus pandemic. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals stayed Biery's order while Texas appeals his ruling. In order for someone to vote by mail in the July 14 primary runoffs, counties must receive their application for a mail-in ballot by July 2. A favorable decision for Democrats by the Supreme Court by early October could still allow for a massive expansion in voting by mail during the November general election.

Debate swirls around ‘qualified immunity’ that protects police officers from lawsuits

University of Houston law professor Emily Berman said officers are granted qualified immunity if they can show their actions were done in good faith. Gamaldi argues removing qualified immunity would also leave officers vulnerable to civil liability if a law is later struck down as unconstitutional. Mills contends qualified immunity can remove a citizen’s right to have their case heard by a jury. The courts granted the officer qualified immunity and the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, ending the matter without a trial. Two bills have also been filed that would end qualified immunity in its current state.

US Supreme Court lets ‘Remain in Mexico’ asylum policy stay in place

(CNN) – The Supreme Court said on Wednesday that the controversial Trump administration "Remain in Mexico" asylum policy can stay in effect while legal challenges play out. It's a devastating loss for immigrant rights groups who say asylum seekers sent back to Mexico are living in dangerous conditions. Lawyers for the asylum seekers called the government's policy illegal and said that in the months that it has been in effect "reports of murder, rape, torture kidnapping, and other violent assaults against returned asylum seekers have climbed." Judy Rabinovitz, special counsel in the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, said asylum seekers remain in "grave danger" due to the policy. "Asylum seekers face grave danger and irreversible harm every day this depraved policy remains in effect."