Court to Hear Trump's Removal Challenge; Allows FTC Firing

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear President Donald Trump’s challenge to statutory removal protections and, in a 6–3 emergency order, allowed him to keep Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter removed while the case proceeds. The unsigned stay reversed a lower-court reinstatement of Slaughter and the court asked parties to brief whether statutory for‑cause removal protections violate the separation of powers, whether the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor precedent should be overruled, and whether federal courts may block removals. Justices Kagan, Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, warning the emergency docket is eroding agency independence. Oral arguments are scheduled for December and the court is expected to issue a decision next summer. Legal observers say overruling or narrowing Humphrey’s Executor would have sweeping consequences for independent agencies, though the court suggested some entities (like the Federal Reserve) might be treated differently.