Obama Asks SCOTUS To Rehear Immigration Case With Full Bench

The current eight-member Supreme Court deadlocked on President Barack Obama’s immigration reform efforts last month, and this week the White House asked the Court to reconsider after a ninth member is confirmed. Obama sought to aid immigrants already in the U.S. illegally through executive action, and last month the Court reached a 4-4 deadlock, upholding a ban on Obama’s efforts. “Ordinarily, it is exceedingly rare for this Court to grant a rehearing,” acting Solicitor General Ian Gershengorn wrote in this week’s filing. “But when this Court has conducted plenary review and then affirmed by vote of an equally divided court because of a vacancy rather than a disqualification, the Court has not infrequently granted rehearing before a full Bench.”