Supreme Court Weighs Immigration Advice and Free Speech Challenges

The US Supreme Court heard arguments on Monday on whether a federal law that prohibits inducing unlawful immigration for financial gain violates the First Amendment. The case involves Helaman Hansen, who defrauded 471 noncitizens of more than $1.8m by enrolling them in a nonexistent program that promised US citizenship through adult adoption. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Hansen, declaring that the federal law making it a crime to induce unlawful immigration sweeps up a substantial amount of speech that is protected by the First Amendment. The government appealed, and on Monday Deputy Solicitor General Brian Fletcher sought to thread a tiny legal needle: With one hand he made strategic concessions, while with the other he sought to uphold the statute.