From Courtroom To Constitution: Meet Neal Katyal, Indian-Origin American Lawyer Who Argued Against Donald Trump’s Tariffs In US Supreme Court

Neal Katyal: In a major constitutional ruling, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down former President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff policy, holding that the executive branch exceeded its authority by imposing broad trade levies without explicit approval from Congress.

The judgment marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate over presidential powers and the separation of authority between the White House and Capitol Hill.

Supreme Court Limits Executive Power On Tariffs

At the centre of the legal challenge was Trump’s reliance on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977 to justify imposing wide-ranging tariffs on goods from multiple trading partners.

Arguing against the move was Neal Katyal, a former Acting Solicitor General of the United States, who contended that the law did not grant the president unilateral authority to impose what he described as sweeping and unconstitutional taxes.

“Today, the United States Supreme Court stood up for the rule of law, and Americans everywhere. Its message was simple: Presidents are powerful, but our Constitution is more powerful still. In America, only Congress can impose taxes on the American people,” Katyal said after the verdict.

He described the ruling as a constitutional milestone, adding that the court granted all the relief sought in the case.

“This case has always been about the presidency, not any one president. It has always been about the separation of powers, and not the politics of the moment,” he said, calling the Supreme Court a bedrock institution that has protected fundamental values for over two centuries.

Who Is Neal Katyal?

Neal Katyal is a prominent constitutional lawyer born to Indian immigrant parents, his mother a doctor and his father an engineer. He studied at Dartmouth College and later at Yale Law School, before clerking for Justice Stephen Breyer.

In 2010, he was appointed Acting Solicitor General by President Barack Obama. Over the course of his career, Katyal has argued more than 50 cases before the Supreme Court, earning recognition as one of the most prominent minority advocates in US legal history.

His previous work includes defending the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and challenging Trump’s 2017 travel ban. Katyal is also the author of Impeach: The Case Against Donald Trump and specialises in constitutional and complex appellate litigation.

He has received the Justice Department’s highest civilian honour, the Edmund Randolph Award, and was named Litigator of the Year by The American Lawyer in 2017 and again in 2023.

Trump Slams Verdict, Announces Fresh Tariff Plan

Reacting strongly to the decision, Trump criticised the ruling in a post on Truth Social, calling it “ridiculous” and expressing disappointment with the justices who voted against his administration’s tariff approach.

“Those members of the Supreme Court who voted against our very acceptable and proper method of TARIFFS should be ashamed of themselves,” he wrote, adding that his administration would adjust its strategy.

Trump also announced that he had signed a new 10 percent global tariff on imports from all countries, signalling that he intends to continue pursuing an aggressive trade policy despite the court’s setback.

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