Samuel Alito-Sotomayor Spat: Rare SCOTUS Statement Cites Judge Oversight
The Supreme Court issued a rare public statement addressing a "misunderstanding" between Justice Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor on Friday.
The statement is notable because the High Court rarely issues statements on internal deliberations or tensions between the justices. It comes after an unusual exchange after the court ruled 6-3 on Thursday to allow the Trump administration to end temporary protection status (TPS) for migrants from Haiti and Syria.
Supreme Court Addresses ‘Misunderstanding'
Sotomayor, a liberal justice who ruled against the Trump administration, criticized the ruling from the bench. She said the ruling “regrettably and tragically extinguishes the light of the torch of the Statue of Liberty.”
Alito appeared to be surprised by her decision to read the dissent. He said he would have added more detail to his summary if he knew of her plans to speak. He defended his opinion, saying the policy at the center of the case was used under former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump's administrations.
Alito ruled alongside the other conservative justices in support of the administration position on TPS.
A spokesperson for the court responded to the exchange in a statement first reported by CNN.
"Justice Alito was notified in advance by Justice Sotomayor's chambers that she would be reading a dissent from the bench," the spokesperson said. "It was a misunderstanding on Justice Alito's part."
A Rare Supreme Court Statement
While Supreme Court justices at times may exchange criticisms in their rulings, it's unusual for the court to issue statements addressing internal disputes between them. Statements typically deal with justice retirements, health or administrative matters.
At times, however, disagreements between the justices have spilled over into the public view.
In April, Sotomayor issued a statement apologizing to conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh for a comment appearing to criticize him "for failing to grasp the real-world effects of an unsigned order last year that allowed immigration enforcement sweeps in Los Angeles to resume."
Supreme Court's TPS Ruling: What to Know
The six conservative justices sided with the administration's argument that courts lack authority to second-guess key determinations about TPS, a humanitarian program created by Congress in 1990 to shield migrants from deportation when conditions in their home countries are deemed unsafe. The ruling allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to rapidly unwind protections for roughly 350,000 Haitians and about 6,000 Syrians who had been granted work authorization and legal status under the program.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
This is a breaking news article. Updates will follow.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gabe Whisnant and Anthony Murray.
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This story was originally published June 26, 2026 at 4:44 PM.