Supreme Court Summaries Index

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Supreme Court

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  • Chy Lung v. Freeman (1875) established that only Congress can make laws concerning the admission of non-citizens into the nation.
  • Head Money Cases (1884) dealt with the power of the federal government to control immigration.
  • U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark (1898) decided if a child born in the U.S. to immigrant parents became a citizen by birth.
  • Perez v. Brownell (1958) identified ways that the government can revoke citizenship.
  • Afroyim v. Rusk (1967) overturned the previous decision in Perez.
  • Lau v. Nichols (1974) dealt with public schools' obligation to provide English instruction to non-native English speakers.
  • Plyler v. Doe (1982) focused on the rights of children of undocumented immigrants to receive public education.
  • INS v. Chadha (1983) addressed Congress’ power to intercede in deportation proceedings.
  • Tuan Anh Nguyen v. INS (2001) dealt with the rules for a foreign-born child to become a citizen.
  • Medellin v. Texas (2008) limited the president's power to make states follow international treaties, particularly involving the rights of immigrants in criminal court.