A federal trade court judge has ordered Rodney S.Scott, the head of U.S.Customs and Border Protection under President Donald Trump, to appear at a hearing concerning the administration’s handling of refunds connected to tariffs previously ruled illegal by the Supreme Court.

The dispute centers on Trump’s earlier “reciprocal tariffs,” which had been implemented using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), despite criticism that the law does not explicitly authorize tariffs.

After the Supreme Court invalidated the tariff program earlier in 2026, the Court of International Trade directed the government to begin refunding money collected from importers.

Although the administration publicly resisted returning the funds, it eventually established a refund process and began accepting repayment requests in late April.

However, concerns emerged after government filings indicated that Customs could process refunds for only about $127 billion of the estimated $166 billion collected through the tariff program.Judge Richard K.Eaton expressed concern that millions of import entries still lacked a clear refund proposal or timeline.As a result, he scheduled a June hearing and ordered Scott to answer questions regarding the agency’s progress and compliance with court directives.The controversy adds to ongoing scrutiny of Trump’s trade policies.

Following the Supreme Court ruling, Trump attempted to introduce a separate 10 percent global tariff plan under a different legal authority, though that effort is also facing legal challenges.

The article notes that Trump’s tariff policies have become increasingly unpopular with voters concerned about higher consumer costs, while some Republican officials have reportedly tried to distance themselves from the economic effects of the tariffs.