(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The U.S. Supreme Court has resoundingly upheld a crucial law that criminalizes the encouragement and inducement of illegal immigration into the United States.
By a strong majority vote of 7 to 2, the Court rejected a challenge to the conviction of Helaman Hansen, an immigration scammer who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for plotting a fraudulent immigration scheme.
Federal prosecutors revealed that approximately 500 illegal aliens had enrolled in the scheme, collectively paying Hansen around $1 million, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
The Court’s ruling serves as a smackdown to the ACLU and the far-left who dubiously argued that Hansen’s First Amendment right to free speech had been violated when he was incarcerated for encouraging illegal immigration.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing the majority opinion, outlined the Court’s rationale, emphasizing that the challenged law “forbids only the intentional solicitation or facilitation of certain unlawful acts.” Barrett concluded that the law does not infringe upon the First Amendment.
According to NBC News, between 2012 and 2016, Hansen charged applicants $10,000, promising them a pathway to U.S. citizenship through adult adoption.
In addition to violating the federal law prohibiting the encouragement of unlawful immigration, Hansen was also found guilty of 12 counts of mail fraud and three counts of wire fraud, as reported by NBC.
In February 2022, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the law, claiming that the law’s language was too vague. The Biden administration challenged this decision, leading to the case being brought before the Supreme Court.
Justice Thomas filed a concurring opinion, aligning with the majority. Liberal Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor filed a dissenting opinion.
The Court’s ruling is expected to act as deterrent to those who unlawfully encourage illegal immigration, an issue of significant importance to the nation.
