Supreme Court Upholds Citizenship for U.S.-Born Individuals

The Supreme Court upheld the right to citizenship for individuals born in the United States, rejecting an executive order by President Donald Trump aimed at changing this constitutional principle for children born to many immigrants. During oral arguments in April, the justices indicated they would affirm that individuals born in the U.S. to non-U.S. citizens are automatically granted citizenship. Trump attended the oral arguments, marking the first time a sitting president has done so. The citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment, adopted in 1868, states that 'All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.' On January 20, 2025, Trump signed an executive order that sought to revoke this right, stating that babies born in the U.S. would not be entitled to citizenship documents if their parents were undocumented. This order faced legal challenges, with several U.S. district court judges ruling it unconstitutional and two federal appellate circuit courts upholding injunctions against its implementation.