US Supreme Court blocks Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked President Donald Trump's contentious attempt to limit birthright citizenship, delivering a major blow to his immigration agenda.

In a 6-3 ruling, the court struck down Trump's executive order, signed on January 20, 2025, the first day of his second term, which sought to deny automatic US citizenship to children born in the country to parents on temporary legal status or those living in the US without documentation.

According to Al Jazeera, the majority ruled that the order violated the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which has long been interpreted to grant citizenship to nearly everyone born on US soil.

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said there was "scant evidence" to support the Trump administration's reinterpretation of the Constitution.

"Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights, to freely participate in our political community," Roberts wrote. "The 14th Amendment was enacted after the Civil War to ensure that everyone, including former slaves, would have those rights. We keep that promise today."

Three conservative justices dissented, arguing that the 14th Amendment could allow Trump's executive order to stand.

Under Trump's proposal, birthright citizenship would have been restricted to children with at least one parent who is a US citizen or lawful permanent resident. Babies born to temporary visitors or undocumented immigrants would not automatically receive US citizenship.

Following the ruling, Trump urged Congress to pass legislation codifying his proposal.

"No long and unwieldy Constitutional Amendment is necessary! Congress should start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship," he wrote on Truth Social. "They will have my Complete and Total Support!"

The decision was welcomed by many immigrant families, with some saying it renewed their optimism about building their lives and raising children in the United States.