Zadvydas v. Davis

Zadvydas v. Davis
Argued February 21, 2001
Decided June 28, 2001
Full case nameKestutis Zadvydas
v.
Christine G. Davis and Immigration and Naturalization Service, John D. Ashcroft, Attorney General, et al.
Citations533 U.S. 678 (more)
121 S. Ct. 2491; 150 L. Ed. 2d 653
ArgumentOral argument
Case history
Prior
Subsequent
Holding
Detention of unremoveable admitted immigrants cannot exceed six months unless removal is in the foreseeable future or if there are other special circumstances.
Court membership
Chief Justice
William Rehnquist
Associate Justices
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor
Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy
David Souter · Clarence Thomas
Ruth Bader Ginsburg · Stephen Breyer
Case opinions
MajorityBreyer, joined by Stevens, O'Connor, Souter, Ginsburg
DissentScalia, joined by Thomas
DissentKennedy, joined by Rehnquist; Scalia, Thomas (Part I)
Laws applied
U.S. Const. amend. V
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1231(a)(6),28 U.S.C. § 2241(c)(3)

Zadvydas v. Davis, 533 U.S. 678 (2001), was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. The court ruled narrowly that section 241 of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (8 U.S.C. § 1231) contains an implicit time limitation and did not authorize indefinite detention of foreigners that no other country would accept.