The Supreme Court has rejected President Donald Trump's executive order that sought to strip citizenship rights from children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants and certain temporary foreign visa holders.
The justices moved to block the order, which Trump had signed early in his second term. The directive targeted a foundational principle of American law: that children born on U.S. soil automatically receive citizenship, regardless of their parents' immigration status.
The 14th Amendment has long guaranteed birthright citizenship, stating that all persons born in the United States are citizens. Trump's order had argued the amendment did not apply to children of undocumented immigrants or temporary visa holders, a claim the administration insisted was consistent with the Constitution's original intent.
Legal experts had predicted the Supreme Court would face significant questions about the scope and meaning of the 14th Amendment if the order had remained in effect. The case drew intense scrutiny from immigration advocates, constitutional scholars, and policymakers across the political spectrum.
The Court's decision marks a sharp setback for the Trump administration's immigration agenda. The ruling preserves citizenship rights for roughly 200,000 children born annually to undocumented parents in the United States, according to some estimates.
Trump has signaled his intention to challenge the decision, claiming the Court missed an opportunity to revisit what he views as outdated interpretations of constitutional language. Supporters of birthright citizenship said the ruling affirmed a core commitment to equal protection under law.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The Court chose stability over the administration's constitutional gamble, but this fight isn't finished."
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