The White House submitted multiple appeals to the Supreme Court on Thursday, requesting that justices permit the partial implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship. This comes after several federal judges blocked the order from taking effect.
The issue revolves around the Fourteenth Amendment, which has granted U.S. citizenship to individuals born on American soil since its adoption in 1868. Trump’s executive order challenges this long-standing interpretation, arguing that the amendment has never been universally applied to everyone born in the United States. In his order, Trump stated, “The Fourteenth Amendment has always excluded from birthright citizenship persons who were born in the United States but not ‘subject to the jurisdiction thereof.’”
Since the executive order was signed, legal experts and officials have anticipated that the question of birthright citizenship would ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court. The case has become one of the most contentious legal battles of Trump’s presidency, sparking heated debates over constitutional law and immigration policy.
Following his inauguration on January 20, Trump signed the executive order titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship.” The policy outlined in the order states that U.S. citizenship would not be recognized for individuals born in the country if their mother was unlawfully present in the United States and their father was neither a U.S. citizen nor a lawful permanent resident.
The legal challenges surrounding this order have created a nationwide debate over the scope and intent of the Fourteenth Amendment. While supporters argue that the policy reinforces the original meaning of citizenship laws, opponents view it as an unconstitutional attempt to restrict rights granted under established legal precedent.
The Supreme Court’s decision on whether to hear the case could have significant implications for immigration policy and citizenship rights in the United States.