US Supreme Court Rules Trump Cannot End Birthright Citizenship for Children of Undocumented Immigrants

The United States Supreme Court ruled that birthright citizenship, guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, remains intact and rejected President Donald Trump's attempt to revoke it for children born in the US to undocumented or temporary immigrant parents. The ruling addressed an executive order signed by Trump on January 20, 2025, his first day back in office, which sought to block automatic citizenship recognition for such children and prevent issuance of citizenship documents 30 days after the order took effect.

Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion, stating that children born in the US to parents residing illegally or temporarily are "subject to the jurisdiction" of the country and thus citizens by birthright under the 14th Amendment. The majority included conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett and liberal Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh dissented, arguing the order did not violate the 14th Amendment but conflicted with a 1940 federal law governing citizenship. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch also dissented, with Alito calling the ruling a "grave error."

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868 after the Civil War, guarantees citizenship and equal rights to all born in the US. Prior to the Supreme Court ruling, several federal district courts had found Trump's order unconstitutional, and appellate courts upheld injunctions blocking its enforcement. During April hearings, justices indicated they intended to uphold the constitutional principle. Trump attended the Supreme Court hearing, becoming the first sitting US president to do so in history.