The U.S. Supreme Court late Tuesday night issued an order reinstating the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” border policy which was discontinued by President Joe Biden earlier this year.

In delivering a legal blow to the Biden administration, the order brings about the return of asylum seekers having to remain in Mexico as the federal government processes applicants’ claims. The policy mandates that foreign nationals seeking asylum in the United States must be returned south of the border while the immigration court system considers their cases.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall hailed the decision as “a win for America’s border security.”

“The Supreme Court order reinstating the ‘Remain-in-Mexico’ policy is a win for America’s border security and a stern rebuke to the Biden administration, which from its first day in power has shown a blatant disregard for our nation’s immigration laws and borders,” said Marshall. “That lawlessness has predictably led to skyrocketing rates of illegal immigration and a crisis on our southern border.”

Marshall says the newly-restored border policy decreased the number of foreigners released into the country’s interior, many of whom he said would fail to appear in court, thus illegally residing in the United States permanently.

“One of the most successful efforts of the Trump administration’s strategy to regain control of America’s southern border was its ‘Remain-in-Mexico’ policy, which required migrants without legal documentation to remain in Mexico while awaiting U.S. asylum hearings,” he added. “This strategy not only served to deter the number of migrants attempting to illegally enter our country, but it also reduced the number of illegal immigrants released into our communities, many of whom fail to show up for their court hearings and remain in our country indefinitely.”

Marshall concluded, “Not surprisingly, the Biden administration halted this successful border-security program on day one. Alabama and a coalition of 14 other states joined Texas and Missouri in successfully blocking the Biden administration’s attempt to illegally halt the policy, and Tuesday’s Supreme Court order assures the ‘Remain-in-Mexico’ policy will be reinstated while the case continues in federal court.”

Earlier this month, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruled against the Biden administration’s illegal halt of the Trump administration’s “Remain in Mexico” policy and enjoined the Biden administration from continuing to halt it.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) subsequently asked a federal appeals court to stay the district court’s injunction pending an appeal. Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the Biden administration’s motion for a stay, allowing the “Remain in Mexico” policy to be reinstated while the case continues in federal court.

The high court’s ruling is a major defeat for the Biden administration, as it has sought to reverse most Trump-era immigration and border enforcement policies, which many conservatives say has contributed to the rise in illegal border crossings.

Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL