Supreme Court Upholds Birthright Citizenship

On June 30, 2026, the Supreme Court upheld the principle of birthright citizenship, rejecting an executive order from President Donald Trump that aimed to deny citizenship to children born in the United States to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily. The ruling was based on the 14th Amendment and established federal laws, affirming that anyone born in the U.S., with very few exceptions, is a citizen. Chief Justice John Roberts stated that citizenship is a right to participate in the political community, referencing historical debates surrounding the amendment. In dissent, Justice Clarence Thomas argued that the ruling misinterprets the original intent of the 14th Amendment. The executive order, which Trump signed at the beginning of his second term, had been blocked by lower courts prior to this ruling. The case highlighted the limits of presidential power regarding immigration policy, with implications for over 250,000 births annually in the U.S. that could have been affected by the order.