US Supreme Court Delivers Landmark Ruling Against Presidential Tariffs
In a significant constitutional decision on February 20, 2026, the United States Supreme Court delivered a decisive victory to Indian-American attorney Neal Katyal by striking down sweeping tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump. The 6-3 ruling determined that the administration had exceeded its authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), marking a powerful reassertion of congressional control over trade policy.
Constitutional Argument Prevails Over Executive Authority
Neal Katyal, the former Acting US Solicitor General, represented small businesses and manufacturers directly affected by the tariffs. His argument focused not on economic critique but on constitutional structure, emphasizing that the Constitution assigns taxation powers exclusively to Congress rather than the President. Following the verdict, Katyal stated, "Presidents are powerful, but our Constitution is more powerful still." He stressed that the case centered on process rather than politics, aiming to prevent any president from wielding what he described as a "blank check" to tax Americans.
The Trump administration had defended the tariffs as a lawful exercise of emergency authority, but the Court firmly disagreed. Notably, two justices appointed by Trump joined the majority opinion, underscoring that the ruling was grounded in institutional limits rather than partisan alignment. Oral arguments extended beyond the typical timeframe, reflecting both the substantial economic stakes and broader implications for executive authority in trade matters.
Katyal's Response and Constitutional Critique
After the White House invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 in defense of the tariffs, Katyal took to social media platform X to articulate his constitutional position. He wrote, "Seems hard for the President to rely on the 15 percent statute when his Department of Justice told the Court the opposite in our case." Katyal emphasized that if presidential tariffs represented sound policy, the administration should have no difficulty persuading Congress to enact them, as required by constitutional principles.
A Career Built on Testing Executive Power
The tariff case represents the latest chapter in Katyal's distinguished career challenging executive authority. His previous landmark victories include:
- Challenging the Trump administration's 2017 travel ban, widely referred to as the "Muslim ban"
- Arguing and winning Hamdan v. Rumsfeld before the Supreme Court, which struck down the Bush administration's military commissions at Guantanamo Bay
- Playing a key role in Moore v. Harper, rejecting the "independent state legislature" theory in election law
- Serving as a special prosecutor in the murder case of George Floyd, helping secure the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin
While these cases span diverse legal domains including war powers, election law, policing, and trade, they share a common constitutional thread: establishing clear limits on governmental power.
Immigrant Roots and Constitutional Commitment
Born on March 12, 1970, in Chicago to Indian immigrants from Punjab, Katyal's background profoundly informs his constitutional advocacy. His mother, Pratibha, is a pediatrician, while his late father, Surender, was an engineer who arrived in the United States shortly before Katyal's birth. The attorney has openly acknowledged his parents' sacrifices, noting they juggled three jobs to make ends meet while maintaining deep love for their adopted country.
During the tariff litigation, Katyal posted a photograph of his kada, the Sikh steel bracelet symbolizing discipline and moral accountability, resting atop case files. He wrote, "Thinking of my father first and foremost, who came to this land of freedom... May the Constitution win." Katyal has frequently described the "Punjabi spirit" of grit and fearlessness as formative to his legal approach.
"As the son of immigrants," Katyal has remarked, "there is something profoundly American about standing in court and telling the President that the law does not allow this." For diaspora communities, his courtroom presence carries layered significance as a child of immigrants arguing constitutional boundaries before the nation's highest court.
Distinguished Career and Personal Life
Educated at Loyola Academy, Dartmouth College, and Yale Law School, Katyal clerked for Judge Guido Calabresi and Justice Stephen Breyer before entering academia and private practice. He served as Acting US Solicitor General under President Barack Obama, arguing more than 50 cases before the Supreme Court. Currently a partner at Milbank LLP and the Paul and Patricia Saunders Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, Katyal has received numerous professional accolades including placement on Forbes' Top 200 Lawyers list in both 2024 and 2025.
Beyond his public legal battles, Katyal maintains a deliberately grounded private life in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with his wife, physician Joanna Rosen, a Yale School of Medicine graduate, and their three children. He has spoken about explaining Supreme Court cases to his children at the dinner table, distilling complex constitutional questions into accessible terms. His sister, Sonia Katyal, is a law professor at UC Berkeley School of Law, while his brother-in-law, Jeffrey Rosen, serves as CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center, creating a family ecosystem deeply engaged with constitutional discourse.
The February 20, 2026 ruling now stands as one of the clearest recent reassertions of congressional authority over trade policy, cementing Katyal's reputation as a formidable advocate for constitutional limits on executive power while highlighting the enduring relevance of America's founding document in contemporary governance.
