Trump suffers major blow as US Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship

In a 6-3 decision, the court held that such children are "citizens at birth" under the 14th Amendment, according to the BBC. The ruling effectively blocks Trump's executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship.

Responding to the verdict, Trump said he would pursue legislation to end birthright citizenship instead.

"The Supreme Court upheld Birthright Citizenship, which is too bad for our Country, but we can easily make it up in Congress through Legislation, with the support of the President, that has now been determined during this process," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

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

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 time, however, its Citizenship Clause has been broadly interpreted to grant US citizenship to nearly everyone born on American soil, regardless of their parents' immigration status. The principle has remained a cornerstone of US constitutional law for more than a century.

Reactions

Stephen Miller, one of Trump's top advisers and the architect of his immigration agenda, called the ruling "destructive."

"One of the most destructive and outrageous decisions in the long history of the Supreme Court. American citizenship is not the birthright of the world. It belongs only and solely to Americans. No provision of the Constitution can be read to require our national self-obliteration," he wrote on X.

House Speaker Mike Johnson criticised the decision, saying: "Today's ruling is antithetical to the rule of law and endangers our national security. Our country should be under no obligation to permit illegal immigration to America for the sole purpose of engineering citizenship."

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which challenged Trump's executive order, welcomed the verdict.

"The court's decision reaffirms a fundamental American promise — if you are born here, you are a citizen," said ACLU National Legal Director Cecillia Wang.

"A president cannot change the Constitution by executive fiat. Our brave clients and our legal team stand with millions of people around our country who spoke up for one of our most cherished rights. The Constitution's guarantee of birthright citizenship stands strong," Wang added.

ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero described the judgment as "an important victory."

"With a 6-3 judgment from the U.S. Supreme Court, President Trump suffered a stunning loss on a signature order he signed on day one of his presidency," Romero said.

Aarti Kohli, executive director of the Asian Law Caucus, said: "This is an important victory for all Americans, including Asian Americans who have been told for generations that we don't belong here, and who have been part of the fight for birthright citizenship from the start."

Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, said Trump had sought "to redefine who is American with a far more limited and cramped view."

"Even a far-right Supreme Court realized overturning the constitutional mandate that people born here are citizens — a mandate that is more than 100 years old and has granted citizenship to millions of people — is not just a betrayal of the Constitution itself but also deeply un-American. Every immigrant to our country should remember what Donald Trump tried to do," she said.

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson also welcomed the ruling.

"Trump's attempted assault on the 14th Amendment was dealt a major blow today. This decision is a powerful affirmation of the Constitution and the enduring promise of equality it represents," Johnson said. promise of equality it represents."