Court sides with government in dispute over rights of green card holders accused of committing a crime

The Supreme Court on Tuesday in Blanche v. Lau cleared the way for immigration officers to more freely deny lawful permanent residents – also known as green card holders – admission into the United States. By a vote of 6-3, the court, in an opinion from Justice Clarence Thomas, held that federal immigration law does not require border officers to have "clear and convincing evidence" that green card holders have committed a disqualifying crime before preventing them from reentering the country for an indefinite stay.