Supreme Court still to decide on Trump's travel ban, public union fees

The decisions are expected as the Supreme Court finishes up the current term.

June 25, 2018, 5:33 PM

The Supreme Court is nearing the end of its term when it normally issues some of its most significant decisions.

As the court wraps up business, Washington and the rest of the country are waiting for decisions in a case about the legality of President Donald Trump's proposed travel ban and in another case that could impact the future of unions for public employees.

So far this session, the court has issued rulings on online sales taxes, cell phone privacy, sports betting, and partisan gerrymandering.

PHOTO: From left, David Mullins and Charlie Craig outside the the U.S. Supreme Court, Dec. 5, 2017 in Washington, D.C. The couple filed a complaint after  baker Jack Phillips refused to sell them a wedding cake for their same-sex ceremony.
From left, David Mullins and Charlie Craig outside the the U.S. Supreme Court after the court heard the case Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Dec. 5, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Craig and Mullins filed a complaint with the commission in 2012 after conservative Christian baker Jack Phillips refused to sell them a wedding cake for their same-sex ceremony.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, FILE

Here are two key undecided cases:

Travel ban

One of the most highly anticipated decisions of this term is how the Court rules on whether the president's proposed travel ban is constitutional. Two previous versions of the move to bar immigration to the United States from some majority-Muslim countries have been struck down by federal courts but the administration argued that Travel Ban 3.0 was vetted by multiple agencies and was based on a review of foreign policy, not religion.

In the case, Trump v. Hawaii, the state of Hawaii says the ban argues that the ban hurts the university system by banning potential students and scholars from entering the country. Individuals who signed on with Hawaii also say it separates them from family members who applied for visas to enter the country.

Fees for public unions

In Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 31, shortened to Janus v. AFSCME - the court will decide whether government workers can be required to pay fees to unions even if they aren’t members.

A Supreme Court ruling in 1977 found that government employees can be required to pay “fair share fees” to unions because the fees pay for contract negotiations that could benefit all employees, even if they aren’t part of the union.

But in this case, Mark Janus, a public employee in Illinois, argues that the fees violate his First Amendment right because he doesn’t agree with all of the union’s political views.

The court also looked at the 1977 ruling in 2016 but was split 4-4 after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, with conservative justices in favor of overturning the previous ruling.

Unions for teachers and other public employees argue that the court should uphold the 1977 ruling, saying that unions supported by fees advocate for all employees through collective bargaining.

ABC News' Audrey Taylor and Geneva Sands contributed to this report.

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