The case involved writs of habeas corpus from Fong Yue Ting and two other Chinese citizens residing in New York City who were arrested and detained for not having certificates. The Supreme Court decided in favor of the United States government, upholding the Geary Act and denying the writs of habeas corpus.
In this legal matter, citizens seeking writs of habeas corpus were denied due to their lack of certificates, with Fong Yue Ting and two other Chinese residents in New York City being detained. The Supreme Court upheld the Geary Act's validity while denying these writs.