The US Supreme Court has ruled that President Donald Trump’s executive order attempting to limit birthright citizenship is unconstitutional. The court’s decision blocks the administration from changing who automatically receives US citizenship at birth through an executive action.
The BBC’s Chief North America Correspondent Gary O’Donoghue outlined the background: birthright citizenship is rooted in long-standing constitutional interpretation tied to the 14th Amendment and has been a foundation of US nationality law for more than a century. The president’s order sought to alter that practice without new legislation from Congress.
O’Donoghue explained both the legal and political consequences of the ruling. Legally, the decision reaffirms limits on presidential power to unilaterally rewrite citizenship rules. Politically, it represents a setback for a prominent immigration proposal promoted by Trump, denying him a quick executive fix and forcing any change to proceed through the legislative process.
The ruling leaves the longstanding principle of birthright citizenship intact and underscores the role of the courts in resolving disputes over constitutional authority and immigration policy.
