Abandoning Principles: Unpacking the Supreme Court’s Mullin v. Al Otro Lado Denying Asylum to Arriving Migrants

The Supreme Court's 6-3 decision in Mullin v. Al Otro Lado ruled that U.S. immigration officers can block asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexican border by metering access to ports of entry, effectively denying them the right to apply for asylum. The policy, implemented in 2016 and expanded in 2017, involved Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers preventing asylum seekers from entering the U.S. until processing capacity allows, leaving many stranded in Mexico. The Court held that asylum protections under U.S. law and international treaties do not apply to individuals physically outside the U.S. at the border threshold.