Stories by Nina Totenberg

The Supreme Court struck down most of the limits that Congress and the courts had previously established to protect the independence of regulatory agencies that comprise much of the federal government.

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court struck down a 91-year-old precedent that has prevented presidents from removing members of independent agencies meant to be a check on his power.

During Supreme Court opinions Thursday, Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the majority opinion in an asylum case, appeared to rebut Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who wrote the dissent. The move was highly unusual — and on Friday there was a coda.

By a 6-3 vote, the high court ruled that federal law allows the government to stop asylum seekers from physically setting foot in the United States, effectively keeping them from applying for asylum. 

Writing for the court majority, Justice Samuel Alito that under the TPS law, the president has unreviewable authority to end the program, without intervention from the courts.