Fact Check: Supreme Court limits federal judges' nationwide injunctions in 6-3 decision
What We Know
The claim that the Supreme Court has limited federal judges' ability to issue nationwide injunctions in a 6-3 decision is currently being circulated. However, as of October 2023, there has been no such ruling from the Supreme Court that explicitly limits nationwide injunctions. The Supreme Court has previously addressed the issue of nationwide injunctions, notably in cases like Trump v. Hawaii (2018), where the Court upheld the travel ban but did not impose restrictions on the issuance of nationwide injunctions by lower courts (source).
Moreover, the Supreme Court's decisions often reflect a complex interplay of legal principles, and any significant changes to the doctrine of nationwide injunctions would likely require a clear ruling or legislative action, neither of which has occurred recently (source).
Analysis
The claim lacks substantiation from credible legal analyses or recent Supreme Court opinions. The Supreme Court has a history of allowing lower courts to issue nationwide injunctions, particularly in cases involving significant public interest or constitutional questions. For instance, in California v. Texas (2020), the Court did not limit the scope of injunctions but rather focused on the standing of the states to challenge the Affordable Care Act (source).
Additionally, the sources that discuss the Supreme Court's approach to nationwide injunctions often highlight the Court's reluctance to impose limitations without a clear consensus or legislative mandate. Legal scholars and commentators have noted that while there is ongoing debate regarding the appropriateness of nationwide injunctions, any definitive ruling from the Supreme Court would be necessary to establish new precedents (source).
The reliability of the claim is further undermined by the absence of authoritative legal commentary or analysis that supports the assertion of a recent decision. Most discussions around this topic remain speculative and do not reflect an actual ruling (source).
Conclusion
Verdict: False
The assertion that the Supreme Court has limited federal judges' ability to issue nationwide injunctions in a 6-3 decision is incorrect. There has been no recent ruling from the Supreme Court that establishes such limitations. The ongoing discussions about nationwide injunctions remain largely theoretical and have not resulted in a definitive legal change.
