Supreme Court Justice Alito Says Sotomayor Did Not Alert Him Before Dissent

Justice Samuel Alito said Justice Sonia Sotomayor did not give him advance notice before delivering a dissent from the bench following a Supreme Court immigration ruling. Sotomayor read her dissent aloud in the courtroom.

Alito stated during the session that Sotomayor had not alerted him to her plan to speak from the bench. Court observers described the comments as an unusual public exchange between sitting justices. CNN correspondent Joan Biskupic reported the statements directly from the courtroom on June 25, 2026.

The temporary protected status program grants work authorization and deportation relief to nationals of designated countries when conditions in their home countries prevent safe return.