The United States v. Guest et al., 1965, was a landmark case that addressed the constitutionality of certain aspects of racial discrimination and segregation in the U.S. The defendants were six individuals who had conspired to deprive African Americans of their right to use public facilities without discrimination on grounds of race or color, as protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court ruled that Congress has authority under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment to punish private conspiracies aimed at infriving rights guaranteed by this amendment. This decision marked an important step towards upholding civil rights protections for all citizens regardless of race or ethnicity.

In the dissenting opinion for United States v. Guest et al., Justice Potter Stewart, joined by Justices John Marshall Harlan II and Byron White, argued that while they agreed with the majority's decision to uphold the convictions under 18 U.S.C. § 241, they disagreed with its interpretation of Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment. They contended that this section does not grant Congress a general power to enact laws punishing private conspiracies to interfere with constitutional rights. Instead, it only empowers Congress to enforce prohibitions on state action explicitly outlined in Section 1 of the amendment. The dissenters also expressed concern about potential misuse or overextension of federal authority if interpreted otherwise.