Supreme Court Weighs Fate of Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order as Constitutionality Comes Under Scrutiny
In a significant development, the US Supreme Court has agreed to review President Donald Trump's order on birthright citizenship, which aims to restrict the citizenship of children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily. The move marks a critical juncture in the administration's efforts to crack down on immigration, with far-reaching implications for millions of American-born citizens.
The order, signed by Trump on his first day as president, declares that children born to non-citizens cannot automatically become US citizens. This would effectively overturn more than 125 years of precedent under the Constitution's 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to anyone born on American soil with narrow exceptions for foreign diplomats and their children.
Despite initial uncertainty, lower courts have consistently ruled against the order, finding that it violates or is likely to violate the 14th Amendment. The federal judge in New Hampshire's case was the latest to block the citizenship restrictions, sparking a class-action lawsuit involving all affected children.
The Trump administration asserts that the Fourteenth Amendment's Citizenship Clause only applies to the children of freed slaves and their descendants, not those born to aliens illegally or temporarily in the United States. In urging the Supreme Court's review, top administration lawyer D. John Sauer argued that the amendment was intended to provide citizenship to newly freed slaves' children, not the offspring of foreign nationals.
As the case moves forward, it has sparked intense debate among lawmakers and advocacy groups. Twenty-four Republican-led states and 27 Republican lawmakers, including Sens. Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham, have backed the administration's stance, while Democrats have vigorously opposed it.
With a spring hearing scheduled and a definitive ruling expected by early summer, the Supreme Court is set to deliver a critical verdict on the Trump administration's immigration policies. The implications of this decision will be far-reaching, affecting not only the citizenship status of millions of American-born children but also shaping the nation's approach to immigration and national identity.
In a significant development, the US Supreme Court has agreed to review President Donald Trump's order on birthright citizenship, which aims to restrict the citizenship of children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily. The move marks a critical juncture in the administration's efforts to crack down on immigration, with far-reaching implications for millions of American-born citizens.
The order, signed by Trump on his first day as president, declares that children born to non-citizens cannot automatically become US citizens. This would effectively overturn more than 125 years of precedent under the Constitution's 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to anyone born on American soil with narrow exceptions for foreign diplomats and their children.
Despite initial uncertainty, lower courts have consistently ruled against the order, finding that it violates or is likely to violate the 14th Amendment. The federal judge in New Hampshire's case was the latest to block the citizenship restrictions, sparking a class-action lawsuit involving all affected children.
The Trump administration asserts that the Fourteenth Amendment's Citizenship Clause only applies to the children of freed slaves and their descendants, not those born to aliens illegally or temporarily in the United States. In urging the Supreme Court's review, top administration lawyer D. John Sauer argued that the amendment was intended to provide citizenship to newly freed slaves' children, not the offspring of foreign nationals.
As the case moves forward, it has sparked intense debate among lawmakers and advocacy groups. Twenty-four Republican-led states and 27 Republican lawmakers, including Sens. Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham, have backed the administration's stance, while Democrats have vigorously opposed it.
With a spring hearing scheduled and a definitive ruling expected by early summer, the Supreme Court is set to deliver a critical verdict on the Trump administration's immigration policies. The implications of this decision will be far-reaching, affecting not only the citizenship status of millions of American-born children but also shaping the nation's approach to immigration and national identity.