By Oluwakemi Kindness
The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that babies born in the United States are constitutionally entitled to citizenship, dealing a major blow to President Donald Trump’s effort to end the long-standing birthright citizenship policy.
In a 6-3 decision, Chief Justice John Roberts held that children born in the US to parents who are undocumented or temporarily present are citizens at birth under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.
Trump had attempted to restrict birthright citizenship through an executive order, arguing that children of undocumented immigrants and some temporary visitors were not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and therefore should not automatically receive citizenship.
Five justices, including Chief Justice Roberts, concluded that the executive order violates the Constitution, while Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote separately that the order also conflicts with federal law.
The ruling represents a significant setback for Trump’s immigration agenda and has been welcomed by civil rights advocates, who argued that the executive order was unconstitutional.
Reacting to the decision, Trump described the ruling as “too bad” and said he would continue pushing to end birthright citizenship through legislation, urging Congress to act instead of pursuing a constitutional amendment.
