The Supreme Court could strike down a key part of the Voting Rights Act, giving Republicans a major advantage in Congress.

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett acknowledged that the court lacks the power to enforce its rulings if the president chooses to disregard them. “The Court lacks the power of the purse,” she said. “We lack the power of the sword.”

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Wednesday in a case that could dramatically reshape the electoral politics of the American south. The court heard a challenge to a central pillar of the Voting Rights Act, which was originally designed to protect the electoral power of black Americans in the face of state-sanctioned discrimination.

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to allow for the deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois to protect federal agents conducting immigration enforcement.

The Supreme Court is halting public access to its building for lack of funding during the government shutdown, but justices are still hearing cases.

President Donald Trump is considering attending Supreme Court arguments in a key tariffs case that could shape his trade policy, an unprecedented presidential move.

The court also rebuffed the administration’s argument that judges have no power to review the president’s decisions to federalize the National Guard.