Fight Over Citizenship: Trump Seeks Supreme Court Review to End Birthright Citizenship
The administration of U.S.
President Donald Trump has formally approached the Supreme Court requesting a review of the constitutionality of a presidential order that aims to cancel automatic birthright citizenship for anyone born on American soil.
This move has sparked widespread controversy and legal debates, challenging long-standing interpretations of constitutional law and national security policies.In the petition filed with the highest court, the Trump administration argues that the current practice of granting citizenship based on birthright is problematic from a security perspective.
They claim that it undermines border security and creates risks by allowing illegal or temporary residents to automatically acquire citizenship through birth in the United States.
The legal argument cites the historic 1898 Supreme Court case “United States v.
Wong Kim Ark,” contending that its interpretation has been misapplied over the years.The presidential order, titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” signed on January 20, restricts citizenship for children whose parents are in the country illegally or on temporary visas at the time of birth.
This policy was immediately challenged in courts: in July, federal courts in San Francisco and New Hampshire issued rulings supporting nationwide injunctions against the order, deeming it unconstitutional and inconsistent with constitutional precedents.Legal experts emphasize that these court decisions challenge the fundamental principles of citizenship established in the Constitution and decades of executive practice.
The Supreme Court’s upcoming decision, possibly involving at least four justices agreeing to hear the case on its merits, could determine the future of this controversial policy and shape legal interpretations of birthright citizenship for years to come.