Justices take dim view of Trump effort to cut illegal immigrants from census count

Supreme Court justices expressed incredulity Monday at President Trump’s attempt to exclude illegal immigrants from the census count used to apportion seats in Congress, reacting with disbelief to the government’s claims that it still doesn’t even know if it will be able to do what the president asked.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. called the case “quite frustrating,” while Justice Amy Coney Barrett said Mr. Trump’s approach has never been tried before.

“A lot of the historical evidence and the longstanding practice cuts against your position,” she told Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall, who argued the case for the Justice Department.