Efforts to turn away boat-arriving asylum seekers could be undermined by the government's recent mishandling of immigration policy, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says.
But Mr Dutton has been accused of seeking to conflate two issues for political gain.
Mr Dutton said the government's inept response to the court decision could send a signal of a broader malaise in the border control system.
"This whole debacle is likely to unwind Operation Sovereign Borders because they've admitted to the people smugglers that they don't have control of the system," he said.
It comes as the head of Operation Sovereign Borders, Rear Admiral Justin Jones, said people smugglers were spreading misinformation about the High Court ruling to their advantage.
However, he refuted claims the High Court decision had led to an increase in boat arrivals.
"There is no link between the High Court decision and Operation Sovereign Borders activity, other than the likelihood that criminal maritime people smugglers will manipulate that decision," he told reporters in Canberra.
"It is a business model based on lies and deceit, and it's only intended to exploit vulnerable people."
Greens leader Adam Bandt said Mr Dutton was running a "massive misinformation and fear campaign".
"The High Court has made some serious decisions - it's up to us as a parliament to consider how to respond to those in a sober manner," Mr Bandt told AAP.
"My message to Labor is don't give in to Peter Dutton ... he has made a career out of punching down, of demonising people who are doing it tough, and he'll keep coming back for more."
Cabinet minister Jason Clare said Australia's border policy remained consistent.
"If you try and get on a rickety boat and come to Australia, you'll get turned back, or you'll get sent to a country like Nauru, or you'll get sent back to your country of origin," he told Seven's Sunrise on Friday.
"It's important to point out here: that was the policy under the former government, it's the policy under us."
Politicians have also allocated $255 million to enforce these changes.
Legal experts and refugee advocates maintain the laws are an over-reach that penalise non-citizens, given that Australian citizens who've served jail sentences for the same crimes are generally released into the community without any restrictions.
According to Australian Border Force deputy commissioner Tim Fitzgerald, of the 145 immigrants released from indefinite detention, 142 required ankle monitors, and 140 have now been fitted.
The ABF's October update on Operation Sovereign Borders revealed there were no new unauthorised maritime arrivals that month while 14 who had previously reached Australia were resettled in a third country.
