SCOUTS Limits Nationwide Injunctions, Birthright Ruling Pending/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Supreme Court ruled Friday that individual judges can’t impose nationwide injunctions, yet left President Trump’s birthright citizenship restrictions unresolved. Trump’s order seeks to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to undocumented parents. Lower courts have uniformly blocked the policy, maintaining the 14th Amendment’s long-standing interpretation.
Supreme Court Birthright Citizenship Ruling + Quick Looks
- Court limits injunctions: Individual judges can’t block laws nationwide.
- Trump policy in limbo: Birthright citizenship changes remain unresolved.
- Historic precedent stands: 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship for most born in U.S.
- Nationwide stakes: Ruling affects future challenges to federal policies.
- Legal battles continue: Lower courts have uniformly rejected Trump’s order.
SCOUTS Limits Nationwide Injunctions, Birthright Ruling Pending
Deep Look
SUPREME COURT REINS IN NATIONWIDE INJUNCTIONS, BUT TRUMP’S BIRTHRIGHT POLICY REMAINS UNDECIDED
In a significant ruling Friday, the Supreme Court decided that individual federal judges lack the authority to issue nationwide injunctions, a legal tool frequently used to halt federal policies across the entire country.
Yet the decision left a major question unanswered: whether President Donald Trump’s order restricting birthright citizenship can move forward.
A PRESIDENTIAL VICTORY — WITH STRINGS ATTACHED
The ruling represents a partial victory for Trump, who has long criticized single judges for blocking broad swaths of his agenda.
Still, the court’s conservative majority stopped short of sweeping away nationwide blocks entirely, leaving the door open for the birthright citizenship policy to remain frozen pending further litigation.
THE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP DEBATE
At the heart of the legal fight is Trump’s executive order, which seeks to deny U.S. citizenship to children born on American soil to parents who entered the country illegally.
Birthright citizenship is grounded in the 14th Amendment, adopted after the Civil War, which states that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.”
In an 1898 landmark case, United States v. Wong Kim Ark, the Supreme Court confirmed that nearly everyone born on U.S. soil is entitled to citizenship, with narrow exceptions: children of diplomats, enemies occupying U.S. territory during wartime, those born on foreign ships, and children of sovereign Native American tribes.
Currently, the U.S. is one of about 30 nations worldwide that uphold birthright citizenship, alongside countries like Canada and Mexico.
TRUMP’S PUSH TO REDEFINE CITIZENSHIP
Trump has argued for stricter rules, calling American citizenship “a priceless and profound gift.” His administration contends that children of undocumented immigrants aren’t truly “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and should therefore be excluded from automatic citizenship.
Opponents—including states, immigrants, and civil rights groups—have challenged the executive order, accusing Trump of trying to rewrite constitutional principles that have been widely accepted for over 150 years.
So far, federal judges have uniformly ruled against the administration, keeping the executive order from taking effect nationwide.
THE INJUNCTION QUESTION
At issue in Friday’s ruling was the scope of federal judges’ powers. The Justice Department argued that individual judges should not be able to impose nationwide injunctions, insisting such broad orders disrupt national governance and create conflicting legal standards.
Instead, the Trump administration urged the Supreme Court to limit the injunction only to the parties who brought lawsuits—meaning Trump’s policy could proceed elsewhere in the country.
Failing that, government lawyers suggested the injunction should at least be confined to the 22 states that sued to block the policy. A separate court order covers New Hampshire, which was not directly involved in this case.
As a final fallback, the administration asked the justices for permission to publicly explain how it would implement the policy if ultimately allowed to proceed.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Despite Friday’s decision trimming the power of federal judges, the legal future of birthright citizenship remains deeply uncertain. Further court battles appear inevitable, and the Supreme Court may ultimately have to decide whether Trump’s reinterpretation of the 14th Amendment can stand.
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