The Supreme Court is nearing the end of its term with several major cases still undecided, including disputes involving President Donald Trump’s authority, election rules, campaign finance, transgender athletes, and digital privacy.
The timing is significant. The court traditionally completes its work by late June or early July before the justices begin their summer recess, so the remaining opinions could be released at any time.
The court has already handed the Trump administration several significant victories in recent days, including allowing it to reinstate restrictions on asylum claims and end Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of migrants from Haiti and Syria.
Among the biggest cases still awaiting decisions is a case stemming from Trump’s executive order seeking to limit birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily. This case has drawn national attention because of its potential impact on birthright citizenship, while also potentially clarifying when lower courts may issue nationwide injunctions blocking presidential policies.
Another pending matter involves whether Trump may remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook before her term expires. A ruling in this case could define the extent of presidential authority over officials serving at independent agencies that Congress has sought to insulate from direct White House control.
The court is also considering a challenge to Trump’s removal of Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter. A decision favoring Trump would weaken longstanding job protections for officials at independent regulatory agencies and expand presidential control over the executive branch.
Additionally, the Supreme Court will decide on cases including Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J., which address whether Idaho and West Virginia may enforce laws barring transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. The rulings could establish a nationwide legal standard for similar laws in other states.
The court is also set to rule on Watson v. Republican National Committee, which asks whether Mississippi may count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day but were postmarked by Election Day. The outcome could influence election procedures in Mississippi and other states with similar absentee voting laws.
Furthermore, the justices will determine if longstanding federal limits on coordinated spending between political parties and their candidates violate the First Amendment in National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission. A ruling for the challengers could significantly loosen campaign finance restrictions by allowing parties to spend more directly in coordination with candidates.
The court is also weighing whether law enforcement’s use of “geofence” warrants violates the Fourth Amendment. The case centers on whether police may obtain location data from technology companies for devices that were near a crime scene during a specified period. A decision in this area could become one of the court’s most significant rulings on digital privacy in years.
The remaining decisions are expected to shape presidential authority, election law, campaign finance and constitutional protections as the Supreme Court’s term draws to a close.
