The Supreme Court returned Monday to a packed docket that could reshape presidential power, election law, and cultural debates, with President Donald Trump's second-term agenda at the center of several cases, The Hill reported.
The court is set to review 39 argued cases so far, including Trump's sweeping tariffs imposed under emergency powers and a redistricting fight that could alter the Voting Rights Act. Justices are expected to issue rulings by summer, while their emergency docket continues to grow with politically charged disputes.
Just nine months into his second presidency, Trump is defending his use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose global tariffs. He invoked the law, typically used for sanctions, to levy duties on dozens of nations, including Canada, China, and Mexico. Lower courts said the move exceeded the statute's authority.
In separate cases, the justices will examine Trump's removals of Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter and Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook. At issue is whether presidents can fire independent agency officials at will or only for cause. Arguments are scheduled through January.
The court will again enter the contentious debate over LGBTQ rights.
On Tuesday, justices will hear a Colorado therapist's challenge to a ban on so-called "conversion therapy" for minors. Kaley Chiles argues the law restricts religious freedom and free speech, while lower courts upheld it as a regulation of professional conduct.
The term also brings disputes over state bans on transgender athletes in Idaho and West Virginia. The rulings could have a ripple effect in 27 states with similar restrictions. The cases follow last year's decision upholding Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors and the court's approval of Trump's policy barring transgender troops from serving openly.
As the 2026 races approach, the justices will weigh three major election cases.
One tests Illinois' practice of counting late-arriving mail ballots, another revisits Louisiana's redistricting maps under the Voting Rights Act, and a third challenges limits on political party spending in coordination with campaigns.
The court will also hear Alabama's bid to execute Joseph Clifton Smith, convicted of a 1997 killing, despite IQ scores hovering near the disability threshold. The ruling could clarify how courts weigh multiple test results under the Eighth Amendment's ban on executing intellectually disabled people.
Other cases span abortion, religion, and race.
The justices will consider whether the U.S. Postal Service can be held liable for alleged racial discrimination in mail delivery, whether anti-abortion clinics can challenge subpoenas for donor records, and whether religious liberty laws shield a Rastafarian inmate forced to shave his dreadlocks.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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