The Supreme Court has upheld birthright citizenship, ruling that President Donald Trump's executive order attempting to deny it to children of undocumented immigrants was unconstitutional. The decision affirms a core tenet of the 14th Amendment, which states that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens.
The ruling represents a significant setback for Trump's immigration agenda. During oral arguments, Chief Justice John Roberts questioned the administration's rationale for the order, describing the examples used to support it as "quirky" and not a sufficient basis to expand such a broad interpretation of the amendment. Justice Amy Coney Barrett also noted that the administration's historical arguments were "not textual."
President Trump was present in the courtroom for the oral arguments, marking the first time a sitting president had attended such proceedings. Following the hearing, he posted on social media that the United States was uniquely misguided for its policy, though research indicates numerous other countries have similar laws regarding birthright citizenship.