Gorsuch Delivers Blow to Some Longtime Immigrants, Families (2)

The Supreme Court made it easier for the government to deport certain longtime immigrants following a minor criminal conviction, a surprise given the justices’ concern at argument that such a decision could lead to harsh results for undocumented immigrants and their families.

The 5-3 ruling was authored by Justice Neil Gorsuch and joined by the other conservatives who heard the case in October. It said that immigrants who entered the country illegally bear the “heavy burden” of proving eligibility for so-called discretionary relief from removal in these circumstances under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Gorsuch acknowledged that noncitizens have “an ...