© Greg Nash

The Supreme Court on Monday said former George W. Bush administration officials can’t be held liable for the unlawful detainment and abuse suffered by undocumented immigrants detained after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

In a 4-2 ruling, the court ruled that six men arrested during an investigation into the attack after they were found living in the country illegally could not sue the officials, including former Attorney General John Ashcroft and former FBI Director Robert Mueller.

The men, all of whom are of Arab or South Asian descent, claimed the federal officials violated their due process and equal protection rights by holding them in restrictive conditions of confinement.

In delivering the opinion of the court, Justice Anthony Kennedy said the lawsuit could not go forward without Congressional authorization.