U.S. Supreme Court Reviews Trump-Era Birthright Citizenship Policy

The U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing a controversial immigration policy initiated during the Trump administration that seeks to limit automatic birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to non-citizen parents. This move, if upheld, could dramatically alter the interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which has historically guaranteed citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States.”
Supporters of the policy argue that the amendment was never intended to apply to children of undocumented immigrants or those temporarily in the country. They claim the reinterpretation is necessary to address what they call “birth tourism” and to control immigration-related benefits.
Opponents argue that the proposed changes are unconstitutional and would lead to significant civil rights violations. Legal scholars point out that the 14th Amendment’s language is clear and that for more than a century, courts have upheld the principle of jus soli, or birthright citizenship. Civil rights groups and immigration advocates fear that restricting birthright citizenship could create a large population of stateless individuals and fundamentally shift America’s identity as a nation of immigrants.
The case has sparked intense national debate, with implications that could affect hundreds of thousands of U.S.-born children annually. A decision from the Court is expected later this year and could become a defining moment in the nation’s immigration and constitutional law history.