{"argument_date":"2001-02-21T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2001-02-21T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2000","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Barnard argued for Zadvydas. He stated Zadvydas is stateless. He argued the detention is indefinite. He claimed the law does not support this outcome.","Mr. Stansell argued for the government. He stated the administrative process is flawed. He argued deportation is not foreseeable. He claimed the law requires continued detention.","chief_justice_rehnquist_asked_no_substantive_questions_during_the_provided_excerpt."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 47-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 47-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 38, lines 17-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 38, lines 17-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 11-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 5-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 5-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 23-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 74, lines 17-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 75, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 75, lines 27-29"}]}],"caption":"Zadvydas v. Underdown","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:33.371560Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:33.380500Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The dispute centers on whether federal law permits indefinite detention of a stateless person when deportation is not feasible.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 47-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 47-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 38, lines 17-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 38, lines 17-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 11-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 23-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 74, lines 17-25"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2001-02-21T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2000","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/99-7791.html","primary_docket":"99-7791","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T18:06:41.656577Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":1},{"correction_note":"Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.","created_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":2}],"schema_version":"1.1","sections":[{"heading":"What this case is about","paragraphs":["Kestutis Zadvydas arrived in the United States as a stateless person. He remains stateless. The government detained him. His lawyers argue this detention violates the law. The government argues the law requires detention until removal is possible."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 47-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 47-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 38, lines 17-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 38, lines 17-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 11-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 23-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 74, lines 17-25"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on February 21, 2001."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 5-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 5-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 75, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 75, lines 27-29"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Zadvydas wants the court to end his indefinite detention.","The government wants the court to allow continued detention."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 47-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 47-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 38, lines 17-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 38, lines 17-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 11-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 23-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 74, lines 17-25"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Zadvydas argues the law does not authorize indefinite detention.","The government argues the law mandates detention until removal occurs."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 47-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 47-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 38, lines 17-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 38, lines 17-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 11-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 23-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 74, lines 17-25"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Does the statute authorize indefinite detention of stateless persons?","What is the maximum duration of lawful detention?"],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 75, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 75, lines 27-29"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the limits of executive power over non-citizens. It determines whether the government can hold people without a realistic prospect of removal. It impacts the rights of stateless individuals in the United States."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 47-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 47-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 38, lines 17-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 38, lines 17-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 11-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 23-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 74, lines 17-25"}]},{"heading":"What happens next","paragraphs":["This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 5-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 5-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 75, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 75, lines 27-29"}]}],"slug":"2000-99-7791-zadvydas-v-underdown","term":"2000","title":"Can the government detain a stateless person indefinitely?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 47-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 47-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 38, lines 17-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 38, lines 17-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 11-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 23-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 23-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-7791.pdf","page_label":"file page 74, lines 17-25"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}