Indian-origin lawyer Neal Katyal leads case against Trump's tariffs

At the centre of a landmark verdict by the US Supreme Court striking down President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, is Indian-origin lawyer Neal Katyal, who successfully argued, against Trump's use of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose what he described as "unjust, unconstitutional taxes" on imports from nearly every trading partner, the case before the highest judicial body. Katyal, a former Acting Solicitor General of the United States under President Barack Obama, represented a group of small businesses challenging the legality of the tariffs. The Court ruled in their favour, delivering a significant judgment on executive powers and constitutional limits. In an interview to a media organisation, Katyal, described the ruling as a testament to the strength of American democracy. He said the judgment reflects a system that is capable of self-correction and upholding constitutional principles, regardless of who holds office.“Presidents are powerful, but our Constitution is more powerful still,” Neal Katyal said after successfully taking on one of the most powerful men in the world in court.

Neal Katyal, who argued the tariff case on behalf of small businesses and won, on what stands out to him, "Oftentimes in these high profile cases, there are 5 to 4. But this one was 6 to 3. And notably with two of President Trump's three appointees voting against him." pic.twitter.com/si7xhUDfUw

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) February 21, 2026

Born in Chicago in 1970 to Indian immigrant parents, Katyal has long been associated with major constitutional cases. He said that the case was about the presidency as an institution and not about any individual and expressed satisfaction that the Court had upheld the country’s foundational values.