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Supreme Court Rules 6-3 Against U.S. Citizens' Right to Bring Noncitizen Spouses

Jun 21, 2024, 02:18 PM

The Supreme Court has ruled in a 6-3 decision that U.S. citizens do not have a constitutional right to have their noncitizen spouses admitted to the country. The ruling came in the case of Department of State v. Munoz, with Justice Barrett writing for the majority. The decision means that federal courts cannot second-guess visa denials for spouses of American citizens, even if it means the couple cannot live together in the U.S. The case involved Sandra Muñoz, a Los Angeles civil rights attorney, who argued that her husband's visa denial violated her fundamental liberty interests. The visa application was rejected over unlawful activity. The Court's decision split along ideological lines, with all three liberal justices dissenting. Justice Sotomayor highlighted the burden the decision places on affected families.