Supreme Court weakens agency power affecting civil rights enforcement

The Supreme Court overrules Chevron deference in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo on June 28, 2024. The decision says courts, not agencies, must independently decide the best reading of ambiguous federal statutes. The ruling is not limited to civil rights, but it affects agencies that enforce anti-discrimination, workplace, housing, environmental justice, education, and health rules. Civil rights enforcement often depends on agency expertise and rulemaking. Limiting agency interpretive power can make systemic discrimination harder to address through federal regulation.