In a significant 6-3 ruling delivered on the final day of its session, the United States Supreme Court dismissed President Donald Trump’s attempt to limit birthright citizenship. The decision effectively preserves the status of American citizenship for the vast majority of individuals born within the nation’s borders.
The legal challenge originated from an executive order signed by President Trump during his first day of his second term. The order aimed to deny automatic citizenship to children born to parents residing in the country without authorization or those holding temporary visas. Lower courts had previously halted this initiative, citing the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, clarified that infants born on U.S. soil to parents who are present unlawfully or temporarily remain subject to the nation’s jurisdiction, thus qualifying for birthright citizenship. This interpretation reinforces a precedent established by the 1898 case of Wong Kim Ark.
President Trump had taken the unusual step of attending oral arguments in April to support his administration’s position, which was presented by Solicitor General John Sauer. The government argued that birthright policies incentivized illegal immigration and birth tourism. Conversely, the American Civil Liberties Union, represented by attorney Cecillia Wang, successfully defended the established constitutional interpretation. This ruling marks the third major legal setback for the administration this term, following previous decisions regarding global tariffs and the removal of Federal Reserve officials.
