Supreme Court blocks Trump order on birthright citizenship

The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down an executive order from President Donald Trump that sought to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and temporary visa holders. The 6-3 ruling, issued on June 30, 2026, affirms that the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to nearly all individuals born on American soil.

Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. The court held that the constitutional guarantee extends to children born in the U.S., with narrow, longstanding exceptions only for children of diplomats, members of invading armies, and certain Native American tribes. Justice Brett Kavanaugh provided the sixth vote to invalidate the order but based his concurrence on statutory grounds, stating it violated existing immigration law. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch dissented.

The decision invalidates the executive order Trump signed on January 20, 2025, which had been blocked by lower courts. In response, President Trump stated the ruling was unfortunate for the country but argued Congress could...