In a decision last Thursday that redefines what it means to be heartless, the Supreme Court held that by stopping asylum seekers from crossing the border, the U.S. can avoid ever having to determine whether their lives are in danger if they return home.
The majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, is a case study in the absurdities of legalism and shows why it has been condemned since the days of Jesus of Nazareth.
The law says an asylum seeker who ¡°arrives in¡± the U.S. must be given the chance to claim its protection. But the court said that, so long as the asylum seeker hasn¡¯t actually stepped over the border, the statute doesn¡¯t apply.
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