Trump Admin Picks Up Key Immigration Win At Supreme Court
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of the federal government on Wednesday in the case of Urias-Orellana v. Bondi in an opinion written by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson that said federal courts of appeals must apply a deferential standard of review when evaluating the Board of Immigration Appeals’ decision regarding whether asylum seekers have faced the level of persecution required to qualify for asylum protections.
The case originated from an asylum application submitted by Douglas Humberto Urias-Orellana, his wife Sayra Iliana Gamez-Mejia, and their child, who fled to the United States in 2021 due to threats of violence in El Salvador.
Urias-Orellana argued that the family qualified for asylum because they were being pursued in El Salvador by a hitman, known as a sicario, who had previously shot two of his half-brothers. He stated that associates of this sicario had repeatedly demanded money from him and had physically assaulted him on one occasion, the SCOTUS Blog reported.
When deciding whether to grant an asylum request, immigration judges evaluate if applicants came to the U.S. due to “persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion,” as specified in the Immigration and Nationality Act.
In the case of Urias-Orellana, a judge found that his experiences did not meet this standard, in part because the family had previously avoided danger by relocating within El Salvador. Following this ruling, the family’s legal team appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals.
However, in 2023, the board upheld the judge’s decision on persecution and the order of removal.
“Under the INA, asylum seekers can ask a federal court of appeals to review their asylum claim if the BIA denies it. The family did so, and that request led to the Supreme Court case. The justices agreed to resolve a disagreement between the federal courts of appeals over what standard of review the courts should use when reviewing a persecution determination,” noted SCOTUS Blog.
On Wednesday, the court ruled that the INA requires appellate courts to use the relatively deferential substantial-evidence standard. That means, as Jackson explained in the court’s ruling, reversal of the BIA’s decision is “warranted only ‘if, in reviewing the record as a whole, any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude to the contrary.’”
Jackson noted that the relevant part of the INA “does not use the phrase ‘substantial evidence.’” However, she continued, multiple other phrases in the statute “truncate[] the court’s review,” including Section 1252(b)(4)(B), which states that “the administrative findings of fact are conclusive unless any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude to the contrary.”
The nation’s highest court has held before that this subsection “prescribe[s] a deferential, ‘substantial-evidence standard’ for review of agency factual findings,” Jackson wrote.
Per Jackson, with Wednesday’s ruling, the Supreme Court also strengthened its 1992 holding in INS v. Elias-Zacarias, in which a majority of justices determined “that ‘to obtain judicial reversal’ of the agency’s persecution determination, an asylum applicant ‘must show that the evidence he presented was so compelling that no reasonable factfinder could fail to find the requisite fear of persecution.’”
Although “Congress amended the INA shortly after” that decision, including to add what is now Section 1252(b)(4)(B), “those amendments … codified the Elias-Zacarias standard,” rather than rejecting it, Jackson noted in her ruling.
She said the law requires courts to uphold those findings unless the evidence clearly compels a different conclusion.
“The agency’s determination … is generally ‘conclusive unless any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude to the contrary,’” Jackson wrote.
Based on “the force of Elias-Zacarias and [the statutes’] enactment history,” Jackson concluded, the substantial-evidence standard has to apply, SCOTUS Blog said.
Democrats DEFY Hakeem Jeffries - Side With TRUMP In Major Betrayal Behind the Scenes
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The standoff paralyzing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) just took a dramatic turn on the House floor. In a highly polarized 221–207 vote, the House of Representatives successfully passed a bill to fund DHS through the end of the fiscal year.
While the vote fell largely along party lines, four moderate Democrats openly defied Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and crossed the aisle to side with the Republican majority.
THE FOUR DEFECTORS
The Democrats who broke ranks to support restoring full funding for border security, cybersecurity operations, and emergency preparedness programs were:
Rep. Henry Cuellar (Texas)
Rep. Don Davis (North Carolina)
Rep. Jared Golden (Maine)
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Washington)
Despite the House victory, the legislative triumph was short-lived. Over in the upper chamber, Senate Democrats successfully blocked a similar measure in a 51-45 procedural vote, falling well short of the 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) was the only Senate Democrat to join Republicans in attempting to end the shutdown.
THE HUMAN COST OF THE STANDOFF
DHS has been partially shut down since its temporary funding expired on February 14. While agencies like the TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard are considered essential—meaning their personnel are forced to work without pay—other crucial divisions, such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), have already begun furloughing employees.
House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) took to the floor to deliver a blistering rebuke of the Democrats' strategy, accusing them of using federal workers as political pawns to punish the Trump administration.
“They are punishing the TSA agents who are working hard to keep their community safe, they’re punishing FEMA employees who are trying to help Americans fighting through these winter storms, they are punishing the cybersecurity analysts at CISA who are combating constant threats to our infrastructure,” Cole argued. “Shutting down the Department of Homeland Security over a partisan fight hasn’t changed the stakes.”
THE DEMOCRATIC RESISTANCE
The core of the dispute revolves around fierce Democratic opposition to the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top Democratic appropriator, dismissed the GOP's funding bill as pure "political theater." She made it abundantly clear that her caucus will continue to hold the DHS budget hostage until Republicans agree to massive operational reforms regarding U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“I will not vote for another dime for these agencies until we get the reforms that the American people want and stopping these agencies for terrorizing these communities,” DeLauro declared.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) was utterly disgusted by the Democrats' refusal to fund national security, issuing a harsh warning to the American public.
“Anybody who votes to block funding for the homeland, it is shameful,” Johnson told reporters. “It speaks to a long record of Democrats’ deliberate efforts to undermine America’s safety and the essential operations of DHS.”
With neither side willing to blink, the men and women tasked with defending America's borders, waters, and skies remain caught in the crossfire of Washington's most brutal political fight.
My husband never knew I was the anonymous billionaire behind the company he was celebrating that night. To him, I was just his "plain and tired" wife, the one who had "ruined her body" after giving birth to twins. At his promotion gala, I was standing there holding the babies when he shoved me toward the exit.
My husband never knew I was the anonymous billionaire behind the company he was celebrating that night. To him, I was just his "plain and tired" wife, the one who had "ruined her body" after giving birth to twins. At his promotion gala, I was standing there holding the babies when he shoved me toward the exit.
"You’re bloated. You’re ruining my image. Disappear," he told me.
I didn't raise my voice. I didn't cry. I walked away from the party... and from him.
Hours later, my phone lit up.
"My cards aren't working. Why won't the door open?"
"What is wrong with you?" Ryan hissed with rage, gripping my arm tightly as he dragged me toward the dark space near the emergency exit. The stench of trash from the alley mingled with the scent of champagne and perfume.
"I’m throwing up, Ryan. It’s a baby. You could help."
"Help?" Ryan mocked, looking at me as if I were garbage. "I’m the CEO, Elle. I don't clean up spit-up. That’s your job. And you’re failing at it."
He tugged at my messy hair.
"Look at Violet from Marketing. One kid and she still runs marathons. She knows how to stay presentable. And you... four months later and you still look bloated and sloppy."
My chest tightened.
"I take care of two babies all by myself. I don't have night nurses or personal trainers."
"That’s your excuse," he interrupted. "Or your laziness. You smell like sour milk, your dress barely fits, and you’re embarrassing me. I’m trying to impress the Owner, build something real, and here you are, proving every mistake I’ve ever made."
He pointed to the door with a finger.
"Leave. Now. Don't let anyone see you with me again. You’re a burden. An ugly, useless one."
Something between us snapped. I looked at the man I once loved. The man I had silently pulled out of the shadows. He had no idea that the "Owner" he feared was standing right in front of him.
"Am I going home?" I asked quietly.
"Yes. And use the back exit. Don't dirty up the lobby."
I didn't shed a single tear. I pushed the stroller into the cold night. But I didn't go to the house Ryan believed was his.
I drove to the hotel I owned, settled the twins, and opened my laptop. While Ryan toasted to his success, I opened my smart home app.
Main door. Biometric access updated.
User "Ryan" deleted.
Next, the Tesla app.
Remote access revoked.
Finally, I logged into the HR system of Vertex Dynamics and opened the profile labeled:
Chief Executive Officer. Ryan Collins.
My cursor hovered over the button.
Terminate Employment...
PART 2 – The Button
My cursor hovered over the screen.
Terminate Employment.
For a moment, I watched the blinking line beneath Ryan Collins’ name.
Chief Executive Officer.
Vertex Dynamics.
The irony almost made me smile.
Ryan thought he had built his career through charm, strategy, and endless networking.
In reality, every promotion he had ever received had passed through one invisible filter.
Mine.
Not because I loved him blindly.
But because I believed in him once.
Now that belief was gone.
Behind me, one of the twins stirred in the crib beside the hotel bed.
Soft breathing.
Warm, steady.
The only sound in the room.
I clicked.
Confirm Termination.
A quiet notification appeared.
CEO access revoked.
I closed the laptop.
Ryan had no idea yet.
But his night was about to change.
PART 3 – The First Call
Two hours later, my phone buzzed.
Ryan.
I let it ring.
Then it rang again.
And again.
Finally, a message appeared.
Why aren’t my cards working?
Another message.
Did the bank freeze something?
Then another.
Elle, answer the damn phone.
I picked up the phone calmly and dialed someone else.
“Victor,” I said when the call connected.
“Yes, Ms. Carter.”
“My husband has been removed from his position effective immediately.”
There was no surprise in Victor’s voice. Only professionalism.
“Understood. The board will be informed before morning.”
“And security?”
“They will escort him out if he attempts to enter the building.”
“Good.”
I hung up.
My phone buzzed again.
Ryan.
I still didn’t answer.
PART 4 – Locked Out
At 3:12 a.m., the phone rang again.
This time I answered.
Ryan’s voice exploded through the speaker.
“What the hell did you do?!”
I leaned back in the hotel chair.
“Good evening to you too.”
“My cards are declined. My Tesla won’t unlock. The house door won’t scan my fingerprint!”
He sounded less angry now.
More confused.
“What did you do, Elle?”
I said nothing.
Silence has power when used correctly.
“Did you call the bank?” he demanded.
“No.”
“Then what is going on?!”
I finally spoke.
“You told me to leave.”
“That doesn’t mean sabotage my life!”
“You said I was ruining your image.”
“That’s not the point!”
“Then what is?”
Ryan exhaled sharply.
“Just fix it.”
PART 5 – The Truth Begins
I walked to the hotel window.
New York lights shimmered across the river.
“Ryan,” I said calmly.
“You remember the Owner you were trying to impress tonight?”
His tone immediately shifted.
“Of course I remember. That’s the whole reason for the gala.”
“And you’ve never met them.”
“No. They stay anonymous. Everyone knows that.”
I smiled faintly.
“Yes.”
“Why are we talking about this?”
“Because,” I said quietly,
“I own Vertex Dynamics.”
Silence.
Real silence.
Not confusion.
Not anger.
Just disbelief.
Then Ryan laughed.
A sharp, ugly sound.
“Very funny, Elle.”
“I’m serious.”
“You can barely manage twins and a grocery list. Now you’re a billionaire?”
“You were fired tonight.”
Another pause.
Then:
“What?”
PART 6 – Reality Cracks
“You lost your job two hours ago,” I said.
“That’s impossible.”
“You should check your email.”
Ryan’s breathing grew heavier.
I heard a car door slam somewhere near him.
Then a pause.
Then his voice came back.
Lower.
“You’re lying.”
“Open the email.”
Several seconds passed.
Then I heard the faint sound of his phone notification opening.
And then…
Nothing.
Thirty seconds.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Finally, his voice returned.
But it sounded completely different.
“…Elle?”
“Yes.”
“You… can’t do this.”
“I already did.”
PART 7 – The Promotion
Ryan’s voice shook now.
“This is some kind of test, right?”
“No.”
“You’re angry because of what I said tonight.”
“I’m calm.”
“You’re destroying my career over an argument.”
I let out a slow breath.
“No, Ryan.”
“You destroyed it yourself.”
“How?”
“You humiliated the company owner in public.”
His voice cracked.
“You’re not the owner.”
“Check the shareholder registry.”
Another silence.
This one longer.
Then Ryan whispered something that finally sounded like fear.
“Oh my God…”
PART 8 – The Memory
Ryan’s voice softened suddenly.
“Elle… listen… I didn’t mean what I said earlier.”
Of course.
The apology stage.
Classic.
“You called me bloated.”
“I was stressed.”
“You called me useless.”
“I was drunk.”
“You told me to disappear.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
I looked at the twins sleeping peacefully beside me.
“You meant every word.”
Ryan’s breathing grew desperate.
“Elle… please. We’re married.”
“Yes.”
“And we have children.”
“Yes.”
“You wouldn’t destroy their father.”
I closed my eyes briefly.
“You already did that yourself tonight.”
PART 9 – The Panic
Ryan’s voice rose again.
“Just undo it!”
“I can’t.”
“You won’t.”
“That too.”
“I built that company!”
“No,” I said softly.
“You built presentations.”
“What does that mean?”
“You were the face.”
“And what were you?”
“The owner.”
PART 10 – The Final Blow
Ryan’s voice dropped into a whisper.
“What happens now?”
I answered honestly.
“You pack your things.”
“And the house?”
“Not yours.”
“The car?”
“Not yours.”
“The job?”
“Definitely not yours.”
“And you?”
I looked at my wedding ring.
Then slid it off slowly.
“Not yours either.”
PART 11 – The End of the Night
Ryan didn’t speak for a long time.
When he finally did, his voice sounded hollow.
“You planned this.”
“No.”
“When did you decide?”
“Tonight.”
“When I told you to leave?”
“Yes.”
Another long silence.
Then he said quietly:
“I thought you needed me.”
I looked at the twins again.
Tiny.
Perfect.
Safe.
“I never did,” I said.
Then I ended the call.
May you like
And for the first time in years,
the silence felt peaceful.
