Yes, there is still judicial independence in the United States.

The US Supreme Court's ruling that declares a large portion of Donald Trump's tariffs illegal is good news. Not so much because of its economic impact, which remains to be seen since the tariffs will continue in one form or another, but because it highlights that the justice system in the United States is not entirely subservient to the president's wishes. In his previous term, Trump made sure to appoint judges sympathetic to the Supreme Court, which is one of the most conservative in its history because of the nine justices on the court, only three were appointed by Democrats and the other six by Republicans. And it seemed that this had worked, because until now the high court had largely given leeway to the president's controversial decisions, from guaranteeing him immunity from prosecution for his public actions—which prevented him from being tried for instigating the storming of the Capitol—to giving provisional approval to many of his initiatives.

However, yesterday's ruling actually establishes the limits of the separation of powers. It essentially states that many of the tariffs Trump has imposed indiscriminately as the cornerstone of his economic and diplomatic policy are illegal because they were approved under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977, which cannot be used to implement this type of tax. Trade and tariff policy, the ruling points out, is a decision of Congress, and the president needs its authorization to modify it. In other words, the Supreme Court is telling the president that he is not omnipotent and cannot do whatever he wants without oversight, but rather must use existing legal mechanisms.

It is, therefore, an important ruling, as it affects the basic principles of democracy and the separation of powers. It might seem obvious, but after that long year of Trump's presidency, this seemed like a thing of the past. We were so used to Trump almost always getting his way and managing to dismantle and discredit any person or entity that opposed him that a rebuke of this magnitude seemed impossible. Naturally, he has already reacted vehemently, calling it a shameful and unpatriotic ruling. He has assured us that, although it may be somewhat slower, he will now reinstate tariffs through other laws—the response in anticipation of this ruling was already prepared—or through agreements in Congress, which is currently under his control and where there is no internal opposition to his leadership. However, the blow is significant because there could now be an avalanche of claims, both within and outside the United States, that could cost the Trump administration millions of dollars.

Economic uncertainty, bewilderment about what might happen in the future, and the fear that the US president's furious response could spiral out of control will undoubtedly be among the main topics of discussion in the coming days. Now, however, it's worth noting that even conservatives are beginning to rein in Trump's abuse of power. It's difficult to know if this will set a precedent for other cases, but it's a small glimmer of hope that American democracy isn't entirely lost.