U.S. Supreme Court rejects Republican bid to defend Trump immigration rule

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rebuffed an effort by a group of Republican state officials to revive former President Donald Trump's hardline policy that barred certain immigrants deemed likely to require government benefits from gaining lawful permanent residency.

The justices turned away an appeal by 14 Republican state attorneys general, led by Ken Paxton of Texas, of a lower court ruling against their request to mount a legal defense of Trump's "public charge" rule after President Joe Biden's administration stopped defending the measure and later rescinded it.

(Reporting by John Kruzel in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham)

By John Kruzel