SCOTUSblog: Announcement of opinions for Tuesday, April 22

[mahatmakanejeeves]

LIVE
Announcement of opinions for Tuesday, April 22

By SCOTUSblog
on Apr 22, 2025 at 12:00 am



On Tuesday, April 22, we will be live blogging as the court releases opinions in one or more argued cases from the current term.

Click here for a list of FAQs about opinion announcements.

238 online


Amy Howe
Mod
9:45 AM
Good morning, everyone! How was your weekend?
I'm here in the Supreme Court's press room. We are waiting on opinions, which we expect at 10 am.

Recommended Citation: SCOTUSblog , Announcement of opinions for Tuesday, April 22, SCOTUSblog (Apr. 22, 2025, 12:00 AM), https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/04/announcement-of-opinions-for-tuesday-april-22/

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. Here's the only one.

Hat tip, Sam Hamwich at Joe.My.God.

https://www.joemygod.com/2025/04/imf-forecasts-major-negative-shock-due-to-tariffs/#comment-6692722772

T D
10:00 AM
It's almost time. Box count yet?

Amy Howe
Mod
10:00 AM
We have the first and only opinion of the day.

Ellena ErskineMod replied T D
10:00 AM
It's almost time. Box count yet?
One box day

Amy Howe
Mod
10:01 AM
It is Velazquez v. Bondi, the immigration case.

Ellena Erskine
Mod
10:01 AM
2
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24…
That was fast! Here's the opinion: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/23-929_h3ci.pdf

Amy Howe
Mod
10:01 AM
It is by Justice Gorsuch, whose opinion is joined by the Chief Justice and Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson.
Thomas dissents, joined by Alito, and in part by Kavanaugh and Barrett.
Alito and Barrett both file dissenting opinions, which Kavanaugh joins.
2
This is a case about calculating deadlines in immigration cases, and in particular how to calculate a deadline when the government delays detention and deportation for up to 60 days to allow immigrants of "good moral character" to leave the United States on their own.
Under other provisions of immigration law, if the final day permitted to take an action falls on a weekend or legal holiday, the deadline rolls over to the next business day.
1
The court today holds that a voluntary-departure deadline that falls on a weekend or legal holiday also extends to the next business day.
9
So the majority rules in favor of the immigrant.
5
Thomas's dissent says that the "merits-stage briefing revealed a serious, novel jurisdictional objection that may bar our review." So he would have sent the case back for the court of appeals to consider that issue first.
6
Alito's dissent indicates that he writes "to explain why, in my view, the Court's analysis of the merits is wrong." He regards the question as "straightforward" -- essentially, 60 days is 60 days, and the immigrant in this case could have left the U.S. before or on a Saturday too.

Gabe
10:07 AM
2
The rare, but becoming more common, Gorsuch non-recusal from a CA10 case. And he gets the opinion!

Jeffrey
10:08 AM
1
Fairly technical and low stakes as immigration cases go.

Amy Howe
Mod
10:09 AM
Barrett says in her dissent that the immigrant in this case "did not dispute anything in the IJ and BIA decisions finding hm removable," and so she would "leave the issue alone."

Sabrina
10:09 AM
Any more opinions today?

Amy Howe
Mod
10:09 AM
No, this is it.