The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that U.S. citizens' constitutional rights are not violated when non-citizen spouses have barred entry without explanation, sparking significant reactions among Nigerians concerned about immigration fairness and justice.
In a landmark 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens are not violated when the government bars their non-citizen spouses from entering the country without explanation. The case involved Sandra Munoz, a U.S. citizen and civil rights lawyer, whose El Salvadoran husband was denied a visa after a three-year wait for an explanation, which eventually cited suspicions of gang membership.
Visa denials in the U.S. are not reviewable in court unless an applicant's constitutional rights are violated. This ruling underscores that non-citizens have no guaranteed right to enter the U.S. or its territories. Munoz, who married her husband in 2010 and shares a child with him, has been separated from him since 2015.
The Supreme Court rejected Munoz's claim that the delay violated her due process rights by interfering with her right to marry. Munoz sued the State Department in 2017 after it declined to reconsider its earlier denial of her husband's visa, explaining its determination later. Her husband, who has no criminal record and denies any gang affiliation, had traveled to El Salvador to apply for a visa.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for the court, stated, "Her claim involves more than marriage and more than spousal cohabitation — it includes the right to have her non-citizen husband enter (and remain in) the United States."
This ruling reverses a 2022 decision by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that had revived Munoz's lawsuit against the State Department. The Immigration Reform Law Institute, a conservative group, praised the ruling, stating it prevents Americans from forcing the entry of potentially dangerous aliens into the country.
The ruling has sparked significant reactions among Nigerians, who expressed concerns and frustrations about the implications for immigration fairness and justice. One commenter remarked, "Japa plans in the mud, Tinubulation continues," highlighting the disappointment among those hoping for immigration reform. Another emphasized the thoroughness of immigration officers, stating, "Immigration officers in the UK, Canada, and USA are some of the most intelligent people in the world. They hold no bias or prejudice." Meanwhile, others called for reciprocal actions, suggesting that "Non-citizens should immediately sue and protest this ruling or other countries should begin to ban Americans from entering their countries."
