President Donald Trump has praised a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling that limits federal judges’ power to issue nationwide injunctions—a decision that could revive his controversial executive order aiming to end birthright citizenship.
In a landmark 6–3 decision, the Court ruled that lower courts can no longer issue sweeping injunctions that block federal policies nationwide unless absolutely necessary. The ruling comes in response to lawsuits targeting Executive Order 14160, signed by Trump on January 20, 2025, which seeks to terminate automatic birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants.
While the Supreme Court did not decide on the constitutionality of Trump’s executive order, the ruling dramatically limits the legal tools used to block such policies in the early stages of litigation. The case now heads back to lower courts, but the decision marks a potential turning point for Trump’s long-standing immigration agenda.
Speaking at a press conference shortly after the verdict, Trump hailed the decision as a “monumental win for the Constitution and the American people.”
“This is a giant victory for our system of checks and balances. Judges should not have the power to shut down federal policy for the entire country,” Trump said. “We will now move forward, stronger than ever, to stop the abuse of birthright citizenship.”
The ruling, written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, emphasizes that nationwide injunctions can create legal chaos by allowing individual district judges to wield disproportionate national power. Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh joined the majority.
Birthright citizenship, protected under the 14th Amendment, guarantees U.S. citizenship to anyone born on American soil. Trump and his supporters argue the clause has been misapplied and incentivizes illegal immigration. Critics warn that ending it could create a generation of stateless children and violate constitutional protections.
The decision does not immediately greenlight Trump’s executive order. Existing injunctions will remain in place for 30 days. However, after that period, courts will need to craft narrower, case-specific remedies. This could allow portions of the order to take effect, depending on how the lower courts respond.
Civil rights groups, including the ACLU and LULAC, condemned the decision. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing in dissent, warned the ruling “strips federal courts of a vital tool to protect constitutional rights.” Immigration advocates have vowed to continue legal challenges and prepare new lawsuits against any enforcement.
Trump’s allies, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, praised the ruling as restoring balance between the executive and judicial branches.
