Supreme Court denies bond hearings for illegal immigrants who return after being deported

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that illegal immigrants who reentered the U.S. without authorization after already having been deported are not entitled to bond hearings.

"[T]he finality of the order of removal does not depend in any way on the outcome of the withholding-only proceedings," Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the court’s opinion, reversing a ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. The immigrants claimed that because they sought withholding hearings, the law governing final orders does not apply to their situation. Instead, they argued that the law that applies "pending a decision on whether the alien is to be removed from the United States" is relevant.