New Opinions: Breaking Down the Five June 23rd Opinions

Overview:

• Five opinions released June 23rd, 2026 — one day, across immigration, international human rights, foreign sovereign immunity, religious freedom, and property rights.
• Four of five decisions split 6–3: identical conservative majority, identical liberal dissent, four consecutive times.
• The fifth — a Michigan family's $2,241 tax bill and a home sold at auction for $76,008 — drew near-unanimous agreement across ideological lines.
• Every conservative Justice authored a majority; Chief Justice Roberts joined all five without writing one.
• Justice Jackson led all Justices in separate opinion output — three opinions across the five cases.
• This episode breaks down all five decisions: authors, vote splits, key holdings, separate opinions, and real-world consequences.

Blanche, Acting Attorney General versus Lau | No. 25–429

• Border officers need not hold clear and convincing evidence before treating a returning lawful permanent resident as an admission-seeker based on a crime involving moral turpitude.
• 6–3. Justice Thomas authored the majority, joined by Roberts, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett.
• Justice Jackson dissented, joined by Sotomayor and Kagan.
• Second Circuit vacated and remanded.

Cisco Systems, Inc. versus Doe | No. 24–856

• Courts may not create new causes of action under the Alien Tort Statute; the Torture Victim Protection Act does not cover aiding-and-abetting liability.
• 6–3. Justice Barrett authored the majority, joined by Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh.
• Justice Jackson concurred in part and dissented in part, joined by Kagan.
• Justice Sotomayor dissented, joined by Kagan and Jackson as to Parts I–III and V.
• Ninth Circuit reversed and remanded.

Exxon Mobil Corp. versus Corporación Cimex, S.A. (Cuba) | No. 24–699

• The Helms-Burton Act itself abrogates the sovereign immunity of Cuban agencies and instrumentalities; plaintiffs need not separately satisfy FSIA exceptions.
• 6–3. Justice Kavanaugh authored the majority, joined by Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Barrett.
• Justice Kagan dissented, joined by Sotomayor and Jackson.
• D.C. Circuit reversed and remanded.

Landor versus Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety | No. 23–1197

• Individual state prison officers may not face personal liability under RLUIPA unless they voluntarily and knowingly consented to answer suits under the statute.
• 6–3. Justice Gorsuch authored the majority, joined by Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Kavanaugh, and Barrett.
• Justice Jackson dissented, joined by Sotomayor and Kagan.
• Fifth Circuit affirmed.

Pung, Personal Representative of the Estate of Pung versus Isabella County, Michigan | No. 25–95

• Just compensation following a tax sale equals the auction sale price, not the property's hypothetical fair market value; the Eighth Amendment Excessive Fines Clause claim fails.
• Near-unanimous. Justice Alito authored the majority, joined by Roberts, Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, and Jackson, and by Thomas except as to Part II–B.
• Justice Sotomayor filed a concurring opinion, joined by Gorsuch and Jackson.
• Justice Thomas filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment, joined by Gorsuch except as to footnote 1.
• Sixth Circuit vacated and remanded.