The U.S. Supreme Court closed the door at least for now on President Donald Trump's effort to end protections for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants dubbed "Dreamers," with the justices again silent on Tuesday on three related appeals.

Unless the court breaks with its normal procedure, the nine justices would not be able to hear arguments and decide the case in its current term, which ends in June. If they eventually agree to hear the matter, it most likely would be decided during their nine-month term that begins in October, meaning a ruling could come in the 2020 presidential election year.

The Justice Department has filed appeals concerning the Republican president's September 2017 move, blocked by lower courts, to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program implemented in 2012 by his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama.