The United States Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday over a Biden administration policy that seeks to focus border security efforts on people who have committed acts of terrorism, espionage, or threats to public safety.

Texas and Louisiana sued the Biden administration over the policy. The Biden administration policy would prevent immigration officers from enforcing federal immigration laws that would deport many more people than just those deemed threats, the states said.

Biden’s policy is currently frozen and Supreme Court will likely release its opinion in the spring of 2023.

What has past administrations’ policy been? Many agencies, including U.S. deportation agents, exercise “prosecutorial discretion” to determine whether filing a charge or making an arrest is appropriate in a given situation.

The Obama administration issued several memos directing where Immigration Customs Enforcement should focus its efforts. Trump-era policy removed people in the country illegally regardless of criminal history or their community ties.

The Biden administration policy in question stems from a September 2021 Department of Homeland Security directive.

This story originally appeared in WORLD. © 2022, reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.