The U.S. Supreme Court swept away this week another obstacle to one of President Donald Trump's most aggressively pursued policies - mass deportation - again showing its willingness to back his hardline approach to immigration.

The administration had asked the court to allow it to end deportation protections for more than 500,000 people facing dire humanitarian crises in their home countries.

Trump is asking the Supreme Court to let his executive order enabling mass federal layoffs proceed after lower courts blocked it.