11 Key Supreme Court Cases to Watch Before Summer 2026 Ruling Season

The U.S. Supreme Court has entered the final phase of its 2025–2026 term. All oral arguments have concluded, and merits cases have been submitted. The Court now focuses on drafting and announcing remaining opinions, expected by late June or early July, ahead of its summer recess.

Below are 11 major cases to watch as the Court prepares to release its decisions:

Immigration Cases

• Mullin v. Al Otro Lado – The Court will decide whether asylum seekers at U.S. borders must be inspected by immigration officials and processed through the asylum system, or if they can be lawfully turned away.
• Mullin v. Doe – This case examines whether the Trump administration improperly revoked Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syrian and Haitian nationals. TPS allows qualifying foreigners to remain in the U.S. due to unsafe conditions in their home countries.

Gun Rights Cases

• Wolford v. Lopez – The Court will rule on whether Hawaii violated the Second Amendment by requiring licensed concealed carry permit holders to obtain property owner permission before carrying handguns on private, publicly accessible land.
• United States v. Hemani – Justices will determine if a federal law barring illegal drug users from possessing firearms violates the Second Amendment.

Transgender Athlete Bans

The Supreme Court heard back-to-back arguments in January on two cases addressing government bans on transgender women and girls competing in women’s sports:

• Little v. Hecox – The question: “Do laws restricting women’s and girls’ sports participation to biological females violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?”
• West Virginia v. B.J.P. – The question: “Does Title IX prevent states from designating sports teams based on biological sex at birth?”

Presidential Authority Over Federal Agencies

• Trump v. Slaughter – The Court will decide if President Donald Trump can fire an FTC commissioner for political reasons rather than “for cause.” A 1935 precedent currently bars such firings, making this case pivotal for presidential power over independent agencies.
• Trump v. CFPB – This case questions whether the president can fire the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) without cause, challenging the agency’s structure and independence.

Other Notable Cases

• City of Grants Pass v. Johnson – The Court will rule on whether punishing homeless individuals for sleeping in public spaces constitutes “cruel and unusual punishment” under the Eighth Amendment.
• Moore v. Harper – This case examines whether state legislatures have unchecked authority to set election rules without judicial or gubernatorial oversight, a dispute tied to the “independent state legislature theory.”
• United States v. Texas – The Court will assess the Biden administration’s immigration enforcement priorities, particularly whether it can prioritize certain deportation cases over others.
• Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce – The Court will clarify the scope of the Chevron deference doctrine, which requires courts to defer to federal agencies’ interpretations of ambiguous laws.