President Donald Trump secured a major legal victory on Friday as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor, allowing his controversial executive order on birthright citizenship to move forward — and sharply curbing the ability of federal judges to block such orders.
In a 6-3 decision, the Court sided with the Trump administration and directed lower courts in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington state to reconsider broad injunctions they had issued against Trump’s order. The ruling significantly weakens the scope of judicial blocks on presidential directives.
Trump’s executive order, issued on his first day back in office, directs federal agencies to deny U.S. citizenship to children born on American soil unless at least one parent is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. The move challenges the long-standing interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which has guaranteed citizenship to anyone born in the United States, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.
The policy, if enforced, could affect more than 150,000 births per year, stripping those newborns of automatic citizenship. The order had been met with swift legal opposition from immigrant rights groups and Democratic officials in 22 states, who called it unconstitutional and discriminatory.
Lower courts initially blocked the policy nationwide, arguing it likely violated the Constitution. But Friday’s Supreme Court decision limits the reach of those injunctions, allowing the administration to implement the order in areas not directly covered by the lawsuits — a major step forward for Trump’s immigration agenda.
The ruling does not yet decide the constitutionality of the policy itself, but it hands Trump a key procedural victory and gives his administration momentum as legal battles continue.
Critics argue that the policy undermines constitutional protections and targets vulnerable immigrant communities. Supporters claim it is a necessary reform to close what they view as a loophole encouraging undocumented immigration.
Trump has long campaigned against birthright citizenship, calling it “a magnet for illegal immigration.” Friday’s decision marks one of his most significant legal wins since returning to the White House and underscores the influence of the Supreme Court’s conservative majority.
