Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/21pdf/21-954_7l48.pdf
Page Number: 41.0

8 

BIDEN v. TEXAS 

ALITO, J., dissenting 

case, but its analysis of the merits is seriously flawed.  First, 
the  majority  errs  in  holding  that  the  INA  does  not  really
mean  what  it  says  when  it  commands  that  the  aliens  in 
question  “shall”  be  detained  pending  removal  or  asylum
proceedings  unless  they  are  either  returned  to  Mexico  or 
paroled on a case-by-case basis.  According to the majority,
it is fine for DHS simply to release these aliens en masse
and allow them to disappear.  Second, the majority improp-
erly  faults  the  Court  of  Appeals  for  refusing  to  allow  the
Government to derail the appellate process by a last-minute
maneuver  designed  to  thwart  review  of  the  manner  in
which it initially terminated MPP. 

A 
As described above, the INA gives DHS three options re-
garding the treatment of the aliens in question while they
await removal or asylum proceedings.  They may be (1) de-
tained in this country or (2) returned to Mexico or (3) pa-
roled  on  a  case-by-case  basis.    Congress  has  provided  no
fourth option, but the majority now creates one.  According 
to the majority, an alien who cannot be detained due to a 
shortage  of  detention  facilities  but  could  be  returned  to 
Mexico may simply be released.  That is wrong. 

1 

The language of 8 U. S. C. §1225(b)(2)(A) is unequivocal. 
With narrow exceptions that are inapplicable here,4 it pro-
vides that every alien “who is an applicant for admission” 
and who “the examining immigration officer determines . . . 
is not clearly and beyond a doubt entitled to be admitted . . . 

—————— 

4 Entitled “Exception,” §1225(b)(2)(B) provides: 
“Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to an alien— 

“(i) who is a crewman,
“(ii) to whom paragraph (1) applies, or
“(iii) who is a stowaway.”

If  anything,  the  narrowness  of  the  enumerated  exceptions  demon-

strates the force of the rule: Detention for all others is mandatory.