Chicago – February 22, 2026
In a landmark 6-3 ruling, the US Supreme Court invalidated President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, deeming them an unconstitutional overreach of executive power under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Chief Justice John Roberts authored the opinion, affirming that only Congress holds taxing authority, nullifying levies that generated $129-133 billion and affected imports from nearly all countries.
At the case’s heart stood Neal Katyal, son of Indian immigrants—a pediatrician mother and engineer father—born in Chicago in 1970. A Yale Law graduate and former Acting Solicitor General under President Barack Obama, Katyal argued for small businesses via the Liberty Justice Center, securing a complete win after over 50 Supreme Court appearances.
Katyal hailed it as a “victory for the rule of law,” emphasizing separation of powers: “Presidents are powerful, but our Constitution is more powerful still.” The decision marks the conservative court’s first major rebuke of Trump since his 2025 inauguration, though he vows new tariffs under alternative laws.
