Birthright citizenship upheld by Supreme Court against Trump's executive order bid

In a landmark decision, the United States Supreme Court has struck down an executive order by President Donald Trump that sought to abolish birthright citizenship in the country. The order, which was issued on January 20, 2025, had aimed to deny automatic citizenship to babies born in the United States to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily. However, the court, in a 6-3 ruling, held that the order was unconstitutional and could not be reconciled with the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which grants citizenship to anyone born in the United States. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts emphasized that the children of parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present in the United States are indeed citizens at birth, as they satisfy both elements of the Citizenship Clause. Roberts noted that the historical origins of the 14th Amendment, which was adopted after the American Civil War, were aimed at settling questions surrounding the citizenship of formerly enslaved people born in the United States. He stated that 'citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights – to freely participate in our political community.' The decision marks a significant setback for Trump, who has long campaigned against birthright citizenship and made its abolition a key component of his immigration agenda. Justice Samuel Alito, on the other hand, described the ruling as 'a serious mistake,' arguing that the 14th Amendment does not confer citizenship on children born to parents who do not owe allegiance solely to the United States. The Supreme Court's ruling effectively blocks the implementation of the executive order and reaffirms constitutional protections for children born in the United States, regardless of their parents' immigration status.