Open Phones and Supreme Court Watch

Participating by telephone, Mr. Egelko spoke about the U.S. Supreme Court nomination of Judge Samuel Alito. He discussed a 1993 case, Fatin v. Immigration and Naturalization Service, in which the nominee wrote the majority opinion. Judge Alito wrote that a female deportee is not entitled to asylum, withholding of deportation, or suspension of deportation based upon membership in a social group or based upon her political opinion under the Immigration and Naturalization Act, where her treatment as a woman in her native country does not subject her to persecution. The ruling was the first by a federal appeals court to hold that persecution based on gender could be grounds for asylum.

Telephone lines are open for viewer comments on news of the day. Callers discussed Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez' delivery of discounted oil to the poor in New York City. close