Supreme Court overturns ruling on college affirmative action policies
In a 6-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court said race cannot be used as a factor in deciding college admissions.
LEARN MOREPosted: 1:22 p.m. EDT Jun 29, 2023
Police investigating a "suspicious package" outside of the U.S. Supreme Court gave the "all clear" Thursday afternoon.
People outside the building were pushed back around 1 p.m. as police responded to a report of a "suspicious package" on the front steps.
And they just evacuated everybody from the sidewalk in front of the Supreme Court pic.twitter.com/7ntpNekIsb
— Sam Lisker (@slisker) June 29, 2023
U.S. Capitol Police did not say whether the package ended up being a legitimate threat when the "all clear" was given around 3 p.m.
Prior to the security concern, people were gathered around the building awaiting and reacting to rulings from the court.
Around 10 a.m. ET, the high court produced a much-anticipated opinion on affirmative action. In its 6-3 ruling, the court said race cannot be a factor in college admissions.
The decision divided many liberals and conservatives.
"Republicans stand for parents, students, and merit-based admissions that help kids achieve their potential. Discriminating against any student based on their race causes irreparable harm to families trying to achieve the American Dream, and we applaud today’s decision," Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement.
Top Democrats criticized the ruling, saying it will make colleges less diverse.
"For decades, the Supreme Court recognized a college’s freedom to decide how to build a diverse student body and provide opportunity," President Joe Biden said. "Today, the Court walked away from precedent, effectively ending affirmative action in higher education. I strongly disagree with this decision."
