Chris Sale, Acting Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service, et al. v. Haitian Centers Council, Inc., et al.

Decided June 21, 1993. John Paul Stevens delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 92-344 · 509 U.S. 155 (1993) · Cited 282 times

Holding

Neither § 243(h) nor Article 33 limits the President’s power to order the Coast Guard to repatriate undocumented aliens intercepted on the high seas.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 8–1.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Immigration & Naturalization Service v. Stevic · 467 U.S. 407 (1984)
• Immigration & Naturalization Service v. Cardoza-Fonseca · 480 U.S. 421 (1987)
• Leng May Ma v. Barber · 357 U.S. 185 (1958)
• Smith v. United States · 507 U.S. 197 (1993)
• Kwong Hai Chew v. Colding · 344 U.S. 590 (1953)
• Shaughnessy v. United States Ex Rel. Mezei · 345 U.S. 206 (1953)
• United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp. · 299 U.S. 304 (1936)
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Arabian American Oil Co. · 499 U.S. 244 (1991)
• United States Department of State v. Ray · 502 U.S. 164 (1991)
• Murray v. Schooner Charming Betsy · 6 U.S. 64 (1804)
• Sumitomo Shoji America, Inc. v. Avagliano · 457 U.S. 176 (1982)
• Foley Bros., Inc. v. Filardo · 336 U.S. 281 (1949)
• United States v. Stuart · 489 U.S. 353 (1989)
• Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife · 504 U.S. 555 (1992)
• Plyler v. Doe · 457 U.S. 202 (1982)
• Immigration & Naturalization Service v. Doherty · 502 U.S. 314 (1992)
• Gregory v. Ashcroft · 501 U.S. 452 (1991)
• Argentine Republic v. Amerada Hess Shipping Corp. · 488 U.S. 428 (1989)
• Kleindienst v. Mandel · 408 U.S. 753 (1972)
• West Virginia University Hospitals, Inc. v. Casey · 499 U.S. 83 (1991)
• Fiallo Ex Rel. Rodriguez v. Bell · 430 U.S. 787 (1977)
• Nachman Corp. v. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation · 446 U.S. 359 (1980)
• Atlantic Cleaners & Dyers, Inc. v. United States · 286 U.S. 427 (1932)
• Ford v. United States · 273 U.S. 593 (1926)
• Hellenic Lines Ltd. v. Rhoditis · 398 U.S. 306 (1970)
• Steele v. Bulova Watch Co. · 344 U.S. 280 (1952)
• Oceanic Steam Navigation Co. v. Stranahan · 214 U.S. 320 (1909)
• Iselin v. United States · 270 U.S. 245 (1926)
• Weinberger v. Rossi · 456 U.S. 25 (1982)
• Clark v. Allen · 331 U.S. 503 (1947)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Trump v. Hawaii · 585 U.S. 667 (2018)
• Morrison v. National Australia Bank Ltd. · 561 U.S. 247 (2010)
• Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. · 569 U.S. 108 (2013)
• American Ins. Assn. v. Garamendi · 539 U.S. 396 (2003)
• Small v. United States · 544 U.S. 385 (2005)
• Trump v. United States · 603 U.S. 593 (2024)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

Explore from here

John Paul Stevens’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1993). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).