WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday ruled in a closely watched case involving presidential authority over independent federal agencies, siding with arguments that expand the executive branch’s ability to remove certain agency officials. The decision arose from a dispute involving former President Donald Trump’s effort to dismiss a member of the Federal Reserve system, raising broader questions about the limits of executive power over institutions designed to operate independently.

In its opinion, the court held that restrictions on the president’s ability to remove certain officials can, in some circumstances, violate constitutional principles of executive authority. The ruling effectively narrows longstanding protections that have insulated agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission and similar regulatory bodies from direct presidential control. Legal experts say the decision represents one of the most consequential changes in administrative law in decades.