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U.S. Supreme Court to hear argument on Biden immigration enforcement policy
U.S. Supreme Court to hear argument on Biden immigration enforcement policy
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday is set to consider whether President Joe Biden’s administration can implement guidelines challenged by two conservative-leaning states of shifting immigration enforcement toward public safety threats.
This the court said in a case testing executive branch power to set enforcement priorities.
The justices will hear the administration’s bid to overturn a judge’s ruling in favor of Texas and Louisiana that vacated U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) guidelines narrowing the scope of those who can be targeted by immigration agents for arrest and deportation.
The Democratic president’s policy departed from the hard-line approach of his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, who sought to broaden the range of immigrants subject to arrest and removal.
Biden campaigned on a more humane approach to immigration but has been faced with large numbers of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
The guidelines, announced by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in September 2021, prioritised apprehending and deporting non-U.S. citizens who pose a threat to national security, public safety or border security.
In a memo, Mayorkas called the guidelines necessary because his department lacks the resources to apprehend and seek the removal of every one of the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the United States illegally.
Mayorkas cited the longstanding practice of government officials exercising discretion to decide who should be subject to deportation and said that a majority of immigrants subject to deportation “have been contributing members of our communities for years.’’
Biden’s administration, saying fewer detentions and deportations have encouraged more illegal border crossings.
The top Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, earlier called on Mayorkas to step down and said the House may try to impeach him when Republicans formally take control of the chamber in January.
Republican state attorneys general in Texas and Louisiana sued to block the guidelines after Republican-led legal challenges successfully thwarted other Biden administration attempts to ease enforcement.
Their lawsuit, filed in Texas, argued that the guidelines ran counter to provisions in immigration laws that makes it mandatory to detain non-U.S. citizens who have been convicted of certain crimes or have final orders of removal.
U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton, a Trump appointee, ruled in favor of the challengers, finding that while immigration agents could on a case-by-case basis act with discretion the administration’s guidelines were a generalised policy that contravened the detention mandate set out by Congress.
“Whatever the outer limits of its authority, the executive branch does not have the authority to change the law,’’ Tipton wrote.
After the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in July declined to put that ruling on hold, Biden’s administration turned to the Supreme Court.
The justices on a 5-4 vote declined to stay Tipton’s ruling, with conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett joining liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson in dissent. The justices did not provide reasons for their disagreement.
Biden’s administration has told the Supreme Court that Texas and Louisiana lack the proper legal standing to challenge the guidelines because the states had not suffered any direct harm as a result of the policy.
The states countered that they would be harmed by having to spend more money on law enforcement and social services as a result of an increase in non-U.S. citizens present within their borders due to the guidelines.
The administration also told the justices that the guidelines do not violate federal immigration law and that the mandatory language of those statutes does not supersede the longstanding principle of law enforcement discretion.
A decision is expected by the end of June.
Fadile Pays Tribute to Late CJN Mohammed Uwais, Describes Him as “My Father in the Judiciary.”
By: Michael Mike
The first military-trained lawyer with a PhD in International Law in Nigeria, Col. Bello Fadile (rtd), has mourned the passing of a stalwart, Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais GCON, former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), who passed on at the age of 89.
Fadile, a prominent figure and author, paid a heartfelt tribute yesterday to the late jurist, describing him as “My Father in the Judiciary.”
Fadile recounted the remarkable story of how Justice Uwais, then CJN, intervened on his behalf during his detention in 1995, braving the military regime to ensure his release.
The Nigerian Army’s first lawyer tribute highlighted Justice Uwais’s unwavering commitment to justice, humility, and integrity. He quoted Uwais’s powerful statement: “A corrupt judge is more harmful to society than a man who runs amok with a dagger in a crowded street.”
Part of the statement read: “At the ripe age of 89, he left us in this sinful world as Allah SWT willed. We accept the vadict as appeal lies nowhere. To we the immediate families, we pray to Allah SWT to give us the fortitude to carry on relying on the principles he lived on and left for us which are:- humility, impartiality, humane, love, detribalised, uprightness and fear of Almighty Allah SWT.
“And to the Nigerian judiciary which he dedicated his life to, i urge you all to follow his footsteps, which he captured brilliantly;
‘ A corrupt judge is more harmful to the society than a man who runs amok with a dagger in a crowded street. The latter can be restrained physically. But a corrupt judge deliberately destroys the moral foundation of society and causes incalculable distress to individuals through abusing his office while still being referred to as Honorable “
“ As captured in my book, Lives: The Bello Fadile Memoirs, I shall forever be grateful to MyLord, the Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais GCON for the risk he took when I was arrested for the alleged fathom coup in 1995.”
Fadile who is the founder and chair of the Council for African Security Affairs, recounted how he was “detained near his house and I sent at note to him as the then CJN, without hesitation or fear of the military, his life or his job, he acted on my request and reached out Late Honorable Justice Karibi-Whyte and together they raised my detention with the Head of Military Government. And of course, they became my link to the Head of State, going and coming back with messages. What man with a lion heart.”
“On my release in March 1999. MyLord traveled from Abuja to Kaduna to see me. He came with clothes, bundles of sheda, and thousands of cash. That was my Father in the Judiciary for you. I was able to see him after 10 years in November 2024, and now he is no more.,” he added.
Fadile noted that late Justice Uwais’s legacy serves as a shining example for the Nigerian judiciary.
According to him, Justice Uwais’s remarkable life and contributions to Nigeria’s judiciary will be remembered for generations to come, adding that “his courage, integrity, and dedication to justice have left an indelible mark on the nation’s legal landscape”.
Fadile Pays Tribute to Late CJN Mohammed Uwais, Describes Him as “My Father in the Judiciary.”
Alau Dam: Zulum, Shehu of Borno Plead with FG to Expedite Rehabilitation Work.
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has called on the Federal Government to accelerate the rehabilitation and expansion of the Alau Dam to avert a repeat of last year’s devastating flood disaster.
Maiduguri and surrounding local government areas experienced their worst flooding in decades following the collapse of the Alau Dam in 2024. In response, the Federal Government approved N80 billion for the dam’s reconstruction and expansion, with a groundbreaking ceremony held in March 2025 to mark the commencement of the project.
Governor Zulum while responding to a request by the Shehu of Borno, Dr. Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, on the need to fast tract the project, during the traditional Sallah homage at the Government House in Maiduguri. The Governor expressed concern over the slow pace of work, warning that the rainy season has already begun.
“After the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction and expansion of the dam, which we all attended, the truth is that the work is not progressing as expected,” Governor Zulum stated.
“The last time I visited the President, I informed him about the true state of the project, and I assure you that I will not relent. I will continue to follow up, and I have also notified the Vice President as well. In the meantime, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) has constituted a committee to provide immediate intervention at the dam.”.
The governor pledged to connect all local government headquarters to the national grid before the end of his tenure. He also promised massive road rehabilitation once the Pulka quarry plant is completed.
“These are two critical issues dear to me, he said. I assure Your Royal Highness that all local government headquarters will be connected to electricity before my tenure expires, Insha Allah. Regarding road infrastructure, insecurity has been a major challenge, but we remain committed. We have procured 40 brand-new Howo tipper trucks, and once the Pulka quarry plant is completed, we will embark on extensive road rehabilitation across the state.”
Governor Zulum thanked the people of Borno for their continued support and cooperation to his administration.
Earlier, the Shehu of Borno, Dr. Abubakar ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi said the sallah homage has been part of the tradition during every festive season, acknowledging the unprecedented transformation the Zulum’s administration is executing across the state.
He emphasised the importance of expediting the Alau Dam project, noting that the first phase should have been completed by now. He referenced the recent flooding in Mokwa, Niger State, as a warning of what could recur in Borno if swift action is not taken.
“We witnessed the catastrophic flooding in Maiduguri on 10th September 2024, and we do not want a repeat, the Shehu said. The Federal Government must act immediately.”.
The royal father also urged the Governor to follow up with the Federal Government on oil exploration in Tuba, road rehabilitation, and electricity connectivity for local government areas.
During the event, Governor Zulum also received delegations from the University of Maiduguri, Kashim Ibrahim University, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Kashim Ibrahim University Teaching Hospital, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, and Federal Orthopaedic Hospital, Azare, who paid similar homage.
Alau Dam: Zulum, Shehu of Borno Plead with FG to Expedite Rehabilitation Work.
Flooding: Zulum, Shehu of Borno Plead with FG to Expedite Rehabilitation Work on Alau Dam
By: Michael Mike
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum has called on the Federal Government to accelerate the rehabilitation and expansion of the Alau Dam to avert a repeat of last year’s devastating flood which nearly submerged Maiduguri and environs.
Maiduguri and surrounding local government areas experienced their worst flooding in decades following the collapse of the Alau Dam in 2024. In response, the Federal Government approved N80 billion for the dam’s reconstruction and expansion, with a groundbreaking ceremony held in March 2025 to mark the commencement of the project.
Zulum, while responding to a request by the Shehu of Borno, Dr. Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, on the need to fast tract the project, during the traditional Sallah homage at the Government House in Maiduguri, the governor expressed concern over the slow pace of work, warning that the rainy season has already begun.
He said: “After the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction and expansion of the dam, which we all attended, the truth is that the work is not progressing as expected.
“The last time I visited the President, I informed him about the true state of the project, and I assure you that I will not relent. I will continue to follow up, and I have also notified the Vice President as well. In the meantime, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) has constituted a committee to provide immediate intervention at the dam.”.
Meanwhile, the governor has pledged to connect all local government headquarters in the state to the national grid before the end of his tenure. He also promised massive road rehabilitation once the Pulka quarry plant is completed.
He said: “These are two critical issues dear to me, I assure Your Royal Highness that all local government headquarters will be connected to electricity before my tenure expires, Insha Allah. Regarding road infrastructure, insecurity has been a major challenge, but we remain committed. We have procured 40 brand-new Howo tipper trucks, and once the Pulka quarry plant is completed, we will embark on extensive road rehabilitation across the state.”
Zulum thanked the people of Borno for their continued support and cooperation to his administration.
Earlier, the Shehu of Borno said the sallah homage has been part of the tradition during every festive season, acknowledging the unprecedented transformation the Zulum’s administration has extended to all parts of the state.
He reiterated the importance of expediting the Alau Dam project, noting that the first phase should have been completed by now.
He referenced the recent flooding in Mokwa, Niger State, as a warning of what could recur in Borno if swift action is not taken.
The paramount ruler said: “We witnessed the catastrophic flooding in Maiduguri on 10th September 2024, and we do not want a repeat.. The Federal Government must act immediately.”.
The royal father also urged the Governor to follow up with the Federal Government on oil exploration in Tuba, road rehabilitation, and electricity connectivity for local government areas.
During the event, Governor Zulum also received delegations from the University of Maiduguri, Kashim Ibrahim University, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Kashim Ibrahim University Teaching Hospital, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, and Federal Orthopaedic Hospital, Azare, who paid similar homage.
Flooding: Zulum, Shehu of Borno Plead with FG to Expedite Rehabilitation Work on Alau Dam
Fadile Pays Tribute to Late CJN Mohammed Uwais, Describes Him as “My Father in the Judiciary.”
Yobe: One killed as Fulani attacks traders in Fune local government
Alau Dam: Zulum, Shehu of Borno Plead with FG to Expedite Rehabilitation Work.
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