Stephanie Liebergen
Supreme Court upholds Native American child adoption law
Justices ruled to uphold the Indian Child Welfare Act, which was enacted to prevent Native American orphans from being separated from their families.
LEARN MOREPosted: 1:03 p.m. EDT Jun 19, 2023
With just two weeks left before the Supreme Court is expected to start its summer break, there are 18 cases still pending. And, as usual, we're still waiting for decisions in some of the biggest cases of the term.
Among them: whether colleges and universities can consider race in admissions. Two cases, one filed against Harvard and another against the University of North Carolina, argue the consideration of race disadvantages some students and violates the Constitution.
"We believe that a student's race should not be used to help them or harm them in seeking admission to any college or university in the country," said Edward Blum, the president and founder of Students for Fair Admissions.
Current Supreme Court precedent says race can be a factor in admissions, but schools can't set a racial quota and it must be one of many factors they consider.
If the justices overturn that precedent, it could have a big impact on elite universities where admissions are very competitive.
Another pending decision could impact President Biden's student debt relief plan. The administration wants to eliminate up to $20,000 of debt for eligible borrowers. But two lawsuits that reached the Supreme Court could block that financial relief.
If the justices say the Biden administration exceeded its authority, the more than 16 million borrowers who are already "fully approved" won't get the debt forgiveness they've been waiting for.
The Supreme Court doesn't announce which opinions are being handed down in advance. The next decision day is Thursday.
