In the case of Ronald W. Reagan, President of the United States, et al. v. James Abourezk et al., 1987, former Senator James Abourezk and other plaintiffs challenged a policy implemented by the Reagan administration that denied visas to certain non-citizens based on their political beliefs or affiliations. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Abourezk and his co-plaintiffs, finding that this policy violated both statutory law and constitutional principles related to free speech rights under First Amendment protections for U.S citizens who wished to hear these individuals speak. The court held that while Congress had given broad powers to exclude aliens from entering the country for national security reasons or because they posed a threat due to criminal behavior or health issues; it did not authorize exclusion solely based on ideological grounds unless explicitly stated by Congress itself. This decision affirmed lower court rulings which found such exclusions were an unconstitutional infringement upon American citizens' First Amendment right "to receive information." It was seen as a significant victory for civil liberties groups who argued against what they saw as politically motivated censorship.

In the dissenting opinion for the case of Ronald W. Reagan, President of The United States, et al. v. James Abourezk et al., 1987, it was argued that the majority's decision to uphold a lower court ruling limiting executive power over immigration policy was incorrect and potentially harmful to national security interests. The dissenters believed that Congress had granted broad discretionary powers to the Executive Branch in matters related to immigration and nationality under Section 212(f) of Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). They contended that this authority included denying entry into U.S territory based on any grounds deemed detrimental by the president - not just those explicitly listed in INA provisions as interpreted by majority justices. Furthermore, they expressed concerns about judicial interference with presidential decisions involving foreign relations or national security issues which are traditionally within executive purview.