blayne alexander, nbc news, washington. >> in a blow to organized labor, the supreme court has ruled that government employees cannot be forced by states to contribute to a union they don't belong to. the ruling gets rid of the so-called fair share fees that nonunion members pay to unions who represent them in collective bargaining negotiations in more than 20 states. the 5-4 decision overturns a 41-year-old precedent. >> that 5-4 vote on unions is making people more nervous given justice kennedy's decision to retire. his announcement suddenly shined a light on some of the most divisive issues of the day viewed through a new lens. as nbc's stephanie gosk tells us, it will surely electrify this fall's elections. >> reporter: within an hour of the announcement, the national association forad was in danger. >> i think if the trump administration and rams this justice through by any means necessary, women will suffer. >> reporter: while evangelicals who have been advocating against abortion since the controversial ruling was made more than 40 years ago, see the first real opening for the

nbc's blayne alexander brings us more. y >> reporter: frs he was the critical swing vote on the supreme court.ho justice a kennedy announcing he is retiring. a major shake up that cld open the door for president trump to fundamentally change the mheeup of highest court in the land. >> a man who is displaying great vision. he displayed tremendous vision andremendous heart, and he will be missed. >> reporter: president trump praising kennedy while lready making plans to choose his successor. >> and we will begin our search afor new justice of the united states supreme court that will immediately. >> reporter: this will be the second supreme court nominee for president trump. last year he picked justice neil gorsuch to replace conservative tonin scalia, a lateral change. but kennedy appointed by ga president r became known as a moderate conservative, siding withat consees on the second amendment and voting rights, but also favoring gay rights and abortion rights. >> now, if you get somebody on the court instead who is much mo

blayne alexand that part of the story. >> reporter: for years he was the critical vote on the supreme court. today, justice anthony kennedy is announcing he is retiring, a jor shake-up that could open the door for president trump to majorly changephe mak of the highest court in the land. >> a man who has displayed tremendous visionnd ss h. >> reporter: president trump praising kennedy while already making plans to choose his success or. >> we will begin our search for our justice of theou supreme that will begin immediately. >> reporter: this willing be the second pick for president trump. last year he named neil gorsuch to replace justice scalia, a lateral change. but kennedy, appointed by reagan became a moderate conservative on conservative ving rights but favoring gay rights and abortion rights. >> if youet someone much more inclined to a conservative thatprudence, some of might pivot back in the other direction. es reporter: moments after kennedy'snation letter was released, republicans urging for a quick confirmation of replacement. >> we will vote to confirm justiceke edy's suc

blayne alexander, washington. >>> justices ruled unions cannot force non-union workers to pay due, even though benefit from contracts they negotiate. they say it's a hit to workingu it will allow non-union workers from paying dues to an organization they don't agree with. >>> teams from the u.s. office of inspector general will head to facilities in the u.s. and government teams will check on the health and safety of the kids along with the conditions of those shelters. on capitol hill, house moderates failed to pass an immigration bill for the second time in two weeks despite last-minute support from the president. the deal offered a path to citizenship for so-called dreamers, a no-go for conservative hardliners and offer offered $25 billion for the president's border wall. >> this is not about our families or injustice. this is about him gng $25 billion for a wall and another $7 billion to hold families in detention facilities. >> the bill failed by a lopsided vote of 121-301. republican moderates sayhet the. president trump and president putin will hold a formal summit work out the d

blayne alexander is on capitol hill today for us. >> reporter: erica, here on capitol hill we startedo bills. we've now gone down to one and that one is facing opposition from some republicans who say that it's not tough enough. now the vote has been postponed until tomorrow in a scramble to get enough support. milar blanket. students at the capital with the plight of the childrenbt oained at the u.s. border. around them leaders praying for a change in the country's immigration laws. hours later -- >> the bill sent passed. >> reporter: house lawmakers rejecting a bill would havug ended border enforcement and funded the border wall. >> it is a sin and a shame. >> reporter: moderate republicans pushing a compromise bill that offersh a p to citizenship for dreamers, immigrants brought here as children. >> i think we're making advancements because we're putting ideas on the table. >> reporter: an upcoming cover of "time magazine" capturing bruc trump to reverse his border polip. melania traking a vis toyo -- visit to texas. her husband sounding sympathetic. >> it bothered her to look at t

blayne alexander, nbc washington. >> californi senator kamala harris is accusing the trump administration of crimes against humanity after touring a migrant detention center down in san diego mothers who have been separated from their own children. the media was not allowed inside. though after her visit, she did speak to the hundreds of protesters, as you can see there, who were gathered outside. >> this is the situation where the united states government and this administration brought upon itself and the reputation of the american public, brought upon us, without a request, shame. >> she says as a former prosecutor here in the bay area, she's been to many jails and says what she saw today was, quote, a prison. >>> well, some bay area clergy also headed to the border. our cameras were there as they left san francisco at 7:00 this morning. they're planning to protn of th leaders, about 40 of them, driving. >> separating the children from their families? that's so traumatizing. that's going to affect these kids for the rest of their lives. we can't let that happen. >> those demonstrations

blayne alexander is in washington where the president met with a group of families speaking out on immigration. blayne? >> you're right. for days now the sympathetic faces in the immigration battle have been the faces of those children separated from their families at the border. today president trump presented a different group. president trump standing with some of the people he says are hardest hit by a flawed immigration system. pham leads of those killed by undocumented immigrant immigrants. >> your loss will not have been in vain. we will secure our borders. >> the president working to shift the spotlight that for days had focused on migrant children at the border. >> we weren't lucky enough to be separated for five days or ten days, we're separated permanently. >> i wear his ashes in a locket. this is how i get to hug my son. >> reporter: after repeatedly demanding congress take urgent action to fix immigration laws, now a stunning about-face. urging republicans to stop wasting their time on immigration and wait until after the midterm elections, suggesting there will be fewer democrats

blayne alexander on capitol hill reporting for us and also threw respects a bit of a curve >> reporter: absolutely, leon, in fact he told them stop wasting your time when it comes to immigration. let's talk about those faces that we've see as we watch this debate kind of reach a fever pitch. for days it's been the children at the border separated from tht familiesse have been the sympathetic faces of the battle. today president a different group. president trump standing with ome of the people he says are hardest hit by a flawed immigration system. families of those killed by undocumented immigrants. l >> yours will not have been in vein. we will secure our borders. >> reporter: the president working to shift the spotlight that for days has focused on migrant children at the border. >> we were unlucky enoug to be separated for five days or ten days. we're separated permanently. >> i wear his ash in a locket. this is how i get to have my son. >> reporter: after urging congress to -- an about face. stop wasting time on immigration and wait until after the midterm elections sayin there wi

the facilities where babies and girls are being heldh let's start w the immigration vote and blayne alexander on capitol hill. >> reporter: doreen and jim, lawmakers here on the hill are working hard to t and answer a question that really has boggled them for some time. whatuto do a immigration. we started the day with two bills and now we're down to one and that one is facing opposition from some republicans who say that it's not tough november. now the vote has been postponed until tomorrow in a last ditch effort to get them votes. milar blankets. children lying on floors. today protesters at the u.s. capital dr capit capital -- aroun leaders praying for change in the country's immigration laws. hours later -- >> the bill has not passed. >> houseawmakers rejecting a bill that would have tough ended bord enforcement and funded president trump's border wall. now moderatehi republicans p a compromise bill that offers a pass to citizenship for dreamers, immigrants brought here as children. >> i think we're making en advanc. >> reporter: an uncoming cover of "time magazine" cturing the narrative

. >> blayne alexander. thank you, blayne. >>> senate majity leader mitch mcconnell is gloating. his senate campaign account tweeted a picture with supreme courtl justice n gorsuch just minutes after the decision was released. mcconnell blocked president obams supreme court pick garland. the controversial move left a vacancy on the bench that lasted more than a year andaved the way for president trump to nominate gorsuch. >>> the presidt's victory in court today does not necessarily translate to his more recent immigration battle the u.s. border with mexico. for one thing, there are differt statutes involved. here's nbc justice correspondent pete williams wh more. >> the supreme court also said one of theeans they were upholding this is because it is in a sense a limited use of presidowtial. secondly, they said it's supposed to be a ro best waiver system that people from these countries can still come to the u.s. if the can make a persuasive case and the supreme court said that's a important eck on the president's power as well. so for all thoset reasons,was upheld. i don't think

blayne alexander joinse us from hite house. blayne. >> reporter: one of the solutions that we've heard over and over, one of the many ggestions is to get more judges, send more judges down to help hane theacklog of cases and move families through the systemaster. today president trump is introducing a very different idea. today president trump extending a warm welcome to the king of jordan even as he proposes a new way to slam theoor on illegal immigration. >> we want a systemhere when people come in illegally they have to go out. and it's a nice simple system that works. >> suggesting about those entering illegally, educate they them back from where came with no judges or crt cases. >> where do you find 5,000 people to be judges. >> reporter: rather than hire more judges t handle t backlog of cases, do away with the willing process all together. butlahat wouldte the constitutional rights guaranteed even to s.noncitiz >> they certainly have a right to be treated fairly and humanely and gioven a chance to fully present their case

blayne alexander is tracking reaction right now on capitol hill. blayne. >> across the board here, lawmakers and b h partie everyone says they want to stop seeing these images of families separated at e border that they don't want to see these hardhi images ofren being taken away. president trump does have the authority to end this. te straeadministrationayt sha th not l just amp ary fix and that's why they're turning to congress. the image disturbing. the voices even worse. the cries of children in a recording not verified by nbc newss titayo nbe taken texas. in washington theig over the fate of those children intensifies. t >> we've got stop separation of the families. >> reporter: president trump insistin he is powerless to stop the policy his own administration enacted just weeks ago. >> all we need isood legislation and we can have it keken care of. >> lawma from both parties furious they are catching the heat for the administration's action zbls t action. >> the white house can change it in five minutes and they should. >> this was a picynvent

blayne alexander, news 4. >>> i'm david culver i northern virginia where reaction to the supreme court's decision on the ban s wideranging. we heard from the muslim mmunity today, from northern virginia and across our area. they gathered for a press conference einlier expre their concerns with this ruling. >> it's taken us back to the dark chapter in the age of our soety. and i hope that the supreme court will not enable this administration to reinject discrimination against a particular community into o immigration system. >> reporter: but not everyone feels that way. back here in suburban communities in northern virginia, we met one woman who sa this is about the border being protected. it's about national s and in her mind there's no difference between this and putting a lock on your front door. >> what i the responsibility that this president has but to protectur country? you know you come into my house here and do i have it wide open and say come on, y'all come. in? i have a front door that i amcl entitled te and lock against anyone who wants to come in here. >> reporter: ahead on n

. >> this is getting hotter, this issue and it's not going blayne alexander, thank you. local lawmakers are taking action too. today the governors m ofyland and virginia pulled national guard resources from the border. virginia governor ralph northam and larry hogan made a similar immigration ing enforcement needs to focus on criminals, not separating innocent children from their families. > close to home families are gathering at a local park where someone shot and killed a 17-year-old. it's possible he may have been kiesed for aner belt. tonight we're hearing from the relatives. news 4 pat colns has our story. >> reporter: great sadness tonight at this place of play. a family trying to come gps with yet another senseless murder. the victim shot and kille this playground yesterday. he was just 17 years old. tonit his relatives gathered loss. scene to mourn his among them brian's cousin eric. he says brian was with his girlfriend when it happened. he says the gunman was out to get brian'suc belt. >> they took his belt. >> he got murdered for his belt? >> you kw what i'm

blayne alexander joins us to explain. >> he told his fellow respects here on capitol hill stop wasting your time suggesting th democrats wer the ones who were holding up this entire process and saying just wait until there are fewer democrats in office. also today the president changed the face of those sympathetic faces in the immigration debate from days now it's bee those children separated from the families at the border. but today president trump stood with a different group. president trump standing with o sothe people he says are hardest hit by a flawed immigration system. families of those killed by undocumented immigrants. >> your loss will not have been in vein. we will secure our borders. >> reporter: the president trki working to shi spotlight that has been focused on migrant children at the border. >> i wear his ashes in a locket. this is how i get t have my son. >> reporter: after demanding congress take urgent action tot fix immig laws, now a stunning about face urging republicans to stop wasting their time onnd immigration a wait until after the midterm election suggest

the facilities where babies and girls are being heldh let's start w the immigration vote and blayne alexander. >> reporter: doreen and jim, lawmakers here on the hill are working hard to t and answer a question that really has boggled them for some time. whatuto do a immigration. we started the day with two bills and now we're down to one and that one is facing opposition from some republicans who say that it's not tough november. now the vote has been postponed until tomorrow in a last ditch effort to get them votes. milar blankets. children lying on floors. today protesters at the u.s. capital dr capit capital -- aroun leaders praying for change in the country's immigration laws. hours