[JURIST] The US Supreme Court [official website] on Monday agreed to settle a split among the circuits on whether immigrants convicted of state drug felonies can remain in the US if their crimes were misdemeanors under federal law. The Court granted certiorari and consolidated appeals brought by two Mexican citizens. Jose Lopez pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession of drugs after being arrested in 1997 and Reymundo Toledo-Flores was convicted of possessing cocaine in 2002.

The Bush administration's Supreme Court lawyer, Solicitor General Paul Clement [official profile], said that in 2005, deportation orders were issued for 77,000 aliens with criminal records and less than 7,000 of them had been arrested for possessing drugs. AP has more. Read the Court's full Order List [PDF].