During Thursday’s Supreme Court oral arguments over birthright citizenship, Justice Amy Coney Barrett once again proved herself a thorn in the side of her benefactor’s administration.
In a lengthy exchange with U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer, Barrett grilled the lawyer about the administration’s plans to follow judicial rulings.
“Did I understand you correctly to tell Justice Kagan that the government wanted to reserve its right to maybe not follow a Second Circuit precedent, say, in New York, because you might disagree with the opinion?” Barrett asked Sauer point blank.
In response to Barrett’s question, Sauer answered, “Our general practice is to respect those precedents, but there are circumstances when it is not a categorical practice.”
A shocked-sounding Barrett exclaimed, “this administration’s practice or the long-standing practice of the federal government?”
Props.