Trump suffers setback as US Supreme Court upholds Birthright Citizenship

In a 6-3 ruling on the final day of its term, the court struck down an executive order signed by Trump on the first day of his second term that sought to deny automatic US citizenship to children born in the country to parents who are in the United States illegally or on temporary visas.

What the Supreme Court ruled

The decision preserves the long-standing interpretation of the 14th Amendment's Citizenship Clause, which guarantees citizenship to nearly everyone born on US soil.

The amendment states: "All persons born or naturalised in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

The ruling leaves intact the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship, marking a significant legal setback for the Trump administration's efforts to narrow automatic citizenship in the United States.

Why birthright citizenship matters

Adopted after the American Civil War, the 14th Amendment was originally intended to guarantee citizenship to formerly enslaved Black Americans.

Over the decades, however, its language has been interpreted broadly to grant citizenship to almost everyone born in the United States, regardless of their parents' immigration status.

This interpretation has remained a cornerstone of US constitutional law for more than a century.

Trump administration's argument

The Trump administration argued that the widely accepted interpretation of the Citizenship Clause was legally flawed.

It contended that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or on temporary visas are not "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States and therefore should not automatically qualify for American citizenship.

The executive order formed part of Trump's broader immigration crackdown and was the first major immigration policy of his second term to receive a final ruling from the Supreme Court.

A major blow to Trump's immigration agenda

The Supreme Court's decision represents a significant setback for the Trump administration's efforts to redefine birthright citizenship through executive action.

By rejecting the order, the court reaffirmed the long-standing constitutional interpretation that has made nearly everyone born on US soil an American citizen.