US Supreme Court Blocks Trump Order to End Birthright Citizenship

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected President Donald Trump's executive order aiming to revoke birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to non-citizen or non-permanent resident parents. The ruling, decided by a 6-3 majority, upheld a lower court's injunction against the order, declaring it unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born on US soil subject to its jurisdiction. This decision marks a significant setback for one of Trump's key immigration initiatives. Earlier this year, the Court also struck down another major Trump policy involving broad global tariffs.

Trump's order, issued on his first day in office, directed federal agencies not to recognize citizenship for children born to foreign nationals, including temporary visa holders and students, arguing that the constitutional phrase "subject to the jurisdiction" does not confer automatic citizenship and that "primary allegiance" to the US should be required. Plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit filed in New Hampshire challenged the order as a blatant constitutional violation.

During oral arguments, conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch questioned the administration's narrow legal interpretation. US Solicitor General John Sauer defended the order by citing the need to combat "birth tourism," although he admitted the government lacked precise data on its scope. The ruling came at the end of the Court's summer session, just days before the 250th anniversary of US independence.

This verdict represents a shift for the Court's conservative majority, which had recently supported several Trump immigration policies, including ending humanitarian protections for Syrian and Haitian migrants and authorizing the deportation of asylum seekers at the Mexico border.