The U.S. Supreme Court opens its new term on Monday, October 5. The last term ended as the year of Trump — the justices struck down the president's tariffs and his executive order on birthright citizenship. The 6-3 conservative majority continues to set the agenda, with cases on guns, voting restrictions, LGBT rights, immigration detention policy and religion already scheduled, plus several corporate blockbusters. Previews by Reuters and NPR sketch the same picture: another term destined for the history books.
The headline Second Amendment case is Viramontes v. Cook County, challenging bans on AR-15-style rifles. The justices also took up an appeal against Connecticut's similar ban — lower courts had upheld both. Gun rights groups cite recent Supreme Court precedents, arguing such weapons are in "common use" and protected by the Second Amendment; Connecticut and Cook County (which includes Chicago) call them weapons of war and the guns of choice for criminals and terrorists. "We see the Supreme Court's efforts to give life to individual liberties associated with the Second Amendment and gun rights," said Georgetown Law professor Michele Goodwin. "The Second Amendment has truly gained speed before the United States Supreme Court." ABC News adds that the justices will also review the federal ban on gun ownership by marijuana users — its constitutionality is in doubt.
Republican National Committee v. Mi Familia Vota goes to the heart of voter registration: does the National Voter Registration Act — or a federal consent decree — take precedence over state requirements that voters show documentary proof of citizenship when registering? The case is, in essence, about Arizona's practice of demanding written proof of citizenship at registration. Goodwin says the question is whether federal law prohibits states from adding requirements on top. With the November 2026 midterms weeks away, the ruling will directly shape voter registration rules across the states.
On immigration, the justices will take up the Trump administration's detention policy for certain convicted immigrants — the government argues they must be held without bail pending their cases. Both NPR and Reuters list it among the term's marquee fights. The battle over the policy's legality puts the question of how far executive power reaches in immigration enforcement before the nine justices once again.
NPR's preview also flags religion and LGBT-rights cases. Corporate America is busy too: ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy want to kill a climate lawsuit brought by officials in Boulder, Colorado; "Fortnite" maker Epic Games' antitrust fight with Apple has reached the high court; and PepsiCo has a trademark case. Climate, tech, soft drinks — the subjects vary, the stakes don't.
Goodwin also points to the shadow docket — the emergency docket that lets parties seek expedited Supreme Court intervention before ordinary appeals run their course. "The argument has been that the Trump administration has been able to have a speed pass jump its way to the Supreme Court, which has meant that the lower courts have not been able to actually deal with these cases," she said. Over the past year the White House has repeatedly used emergency applications to send disputes straight to the nine justices; the new term will bring more.
The argument calendar fills up in the first week. Guns, ballots, immigration — the three hottest subjects in American politics will all have their day at the Supreme Court this fall.