Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Supreme Court to review ruling on equality for citizens in US territories

Supreme Court to review ruling on equality for citizens in US territories

The United States Supreme Court on Monday, March 1, 2021, announced it will be reviewing a ruling from the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit that unanimously found it unconstitutional to deny low-income elderly, blind and disabled residents of Puerto Rico the same access to federal support enjoyed by other Americans living in the states and certain other territories.

According to Equally American, a nonpartisan public interest organization that works to advance equality and voting rights in US territories, in United States v. Vaello-Madero, decided by the First Circuit last year, the United States is seeking to recover $28,081 in Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments that Jose Luis Vaello-Madero received after moving from New York to Puerto Rico. Altogether, federal discrimination against residents of US territories each year denies billions of dollars in critical support to the most vulnerable U.S. citizens in these areas.

Unconstitutional


The United States is also seeking reversal in two other cases where federal judges have ruled in favour of equality for US citizens living in the territories. In Schaller v. U.S. Social Security Administration, currently pending before the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, a federal district court judge in Guam reached a similar ruling that the denial of SSI benefits to a disabled woman in Guam was unconstitutional. And in Peña Martínez v. U.S. Department of Health & Human Service, currently pending before the First Circuit, a federal district court judge in Puerto Rico ruled unconstitutional not just the denial of SSI benefits, but also the exclusion or Puerto Rico residents from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) and Medicare Part D low-income subsidies (“LIS”).

“Equality for US citizens in Puerto Rico and other territories is on the line as the US Supreme Court reviews the First Circuit’s landmark decision ruling that the arbitrary denial of SSI benefits to residents of the territories is unconstitutional,” said Neil Weare, president and founder of Equally American. “SSI is a vital lifeline for millions of low-income disabled and elderly Americans, and there is no basis for arbitrarily excluding citizens living in the territories from this safety net."

With the Supreme Court granting review in Vaello-Madero, President Joe R. Biden and the US Department of Justice are put in an awkward position.


Biden's promise


Last September, then-presidential candidate Joe R. Biden tweeted in response to the US DOJ’s decision to seek Supreme Court review to reverse Vaello-Madero, that, “This ends when I’m elected President.” In fact, the Biden-Harris Campaign made equality for Puerto Rico a central part of his campaign, setting forth in his Plan for Puerto Rico:

According to Equally American, Mr Biden believes that Puerto Rico, and the more than 3 million American citizens who call it home, deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Whether you live in Reading, Pennsylvania; Kissimmee, Florida; or San Juan, Puerto Rico, you deserve a fair return for your work, an equal chance to get ahead, and a government that treats every American citizen equally and has your back when you get knocked down.

“With the Supreme Court granting review in Vaello-Madero, President Joe Biden and the US Department of Justice are put in an awkward position. Absent the kind of shift DOJ has made in other recent cases, this Administration will in effect be arguing in favour of continued discrimination against the most vulnerable residents of Puerto Rico and other territories,” Mr Weare explained. “This is the kind of case where DOJ should consider reversing its position. After all, it is hard to see how asking the Supreme Court to help collect money from a disabled Puerto Rican man who does not have it is consistent with a pledge to treat citizens in the territories with ‘dignity and respect.'"

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
×