Vernon Hills toy companies ask US Supreme Court to expedite review of Trump's tariffs

VERNON HILLS, Ill. -- Two local businesses are asking the U.S. Supreme Court intervene immediately in the high-stakes legal battle over President Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs program, saying prolonged exposure to the levies is "punishing" their businesses and causing "consumers to bleed billions of dollars each month."

The plaintiffs in the case are two family-owned, Vernon Hills-based businesses -- Learning Resources, Inc. an educational company which sells toys that help kids learn to count, read and code, and hand2mind, Inc., its sister company, which focuses on STEM products.

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"In light of the tariffs' massive impact on virtually every business and consumer across the Nation, and the unremitting whiplash caused by the unfettered tariffing power the President claims," wrote the companies' attorneys, "challenges to the IEEPA tariffs cannot await the normal appellate process."

Typically, the Supreme Court is a court of final review, only taking up an appeal after lower courts have rendered judgement first. The U.S. Court of Appeals has scheduled arguments in the case in late July with a decision expected weeks or months after that.

SEE ALSO | Ruling in Vernon Hills toy company's lawsuit over Trump's tariffs also delayed by appeals court

The companies want the high court to accept the case now and schedule oral arguments as soon as September, if not sooner.

A district court judge in the case ruled last month that Trump's tariffs were unlawful. The U.S. Court of International Trade issued a similar judgment. Both decisions were put on hold during an appeals court review.

"The President in one day unilaterally raised the level of U.S. import duties to the highest it has been in more than 100 years, even though no President in IEEPA's history has relied on that law to issue any tariff," the companies argued in their court filing. "In recent terms, this Court has granted certiorari before judgment to permit prompt review in cases of similarly (or less) far-reaching national importance."

The Supreme Court could respond to the request before its summer recess but is not required to.

In April, Learning Resources, Inc. and hand2mind, Inc. announced the lawsuit challenging Trump's asserted authority to impose tariffs on imports from any country, on any schedule, in any amount, and for any policy reason under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

ABC7 Chicago contributed to this report.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.