A tense exchange unfolded at the Supreme Court on Thursday after Justice Samuel Alito delivered the majority opinion in a closely watched immigration case, prompting a sharp dissent from Justice Sonia Sotomayor and an unusual response from the conservative justice once she had finished speaking.
The court ruled 6-3 along ideological lines, handing a victory to the Trump administration by allowing officials to move forward with a policy that permits asylum seekers to be turned away before they reach U.S. soil.
Alito briefly outlined the reasoning behind the majority’s decision from the bench before Sotomayor took the uncommon step of reading her dissent aloud in full, signaling the depth of her disagreement with the ruling.
As Sotomayor delivered her remarks, Alito appeared visibly reserved. He leaned back in his chair, rocking gently while looking toward the ceiling and, at times, appearing to close his eyes as the dissent continued.
When Sotomayor described the majority opinion as “egregiously wrong,” Alito shifted his posture, leaning forward with his chin resting in his hands while continuing to look upward.
The exchange remained largely one-sided until Sotomayor discussed the majority’s interpretation of the word “arrival” in the immigration context. Using Reagan Washington National Airport as an example during her remarks, she drew a brief glance from Alito before he returned his attention elsewhere.
After Sotomayor concluded, Alito responded with an uncommon off-the-cuff remark from the bench. Softly clearing his throat, the justice said there was much more he “would have added” to the majority opinion had he known Sotomayor intended to read her dissent in its entirety.
Such exchanges are relatively rare at the Supreme Court, where justices typically allow their written opinions to speak for themselves. While justices occasionally read dissents aloud to underscore strong disagreement with a ruling, the practice is not routine.
The courtroom also offered a glimpse into how the other members of the court reacted during Sotomayor’s remarks.
Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, and Clarence Thomas displayed little visible reaction throughout the reading, spending most of the time looking down at their papers rather than engaging with the dissent being read aloud.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, however, maintained his focus on Sotomayor for the duration of her presentation, watching her as she delivered her criticism of the court’s majority opinion.
The exchange highlighted the ideological divide that characterized the court’s decision. The 6-3 ruling, split along the court’s conservative and liberal blocs, opens the door for the Trump administration to implement its policy allowing asylum seekers to be turned away before reaching American soil.
Although spirited disagreements among the justices are reflected regularly in written opinions, direct verbal responses from the bench remain uncommon, making Alito’s brief remark following Sotomayor’s dissent a notable moment in the court’s proceedings.
