The U.S. Supreme Court has granted President Donald Trump a significant victory in a case involving birthright citizenship, altering the balance of power between federal judges and the presidency.
In a ruling issued on Friday, authored by conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the Court curbed the ability of judges to impose nationwide injunctions that block the President’s policies. While the decision did not immediately allow Trump’s directive restricting birthright citizenship to take effect, it directed lower courts that had halted it to reconsider the scope of their orders.
The ruling did not address the legality of the policy itself, which is part of Trump’s stringent approach to immigration. The President celebrated the decision, stating that his administration could now advance numerous policies that he believes have been unjustly blocked on a nationwide basis.
“We have so many of them. I have a whole list,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “This is a big win for our administration and for the country.”
The Supreme Court’s conservative justices formed the majority in the decision, with liberal justices dissenting. The Court specified that Trump’s executive order cannot take effect until 30 days after the ruling, raising the possibility that the order may eventually apply in certain parts of the country.
On his first day back in office, Trump signed an executive order instructing federal agencies to deny recognition of citizenship for children born in the United States unless at least one parent is an American citizen or a lawful permanent resident, commonly known as a “green card” holder.
The administration had requested the Supreme Court to narrow the scope of three universal injunctions issued by federal judges in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington state. These injunctions had halted enforcement of Trump’s directive nationwide while legal challenges proceed.
The decision marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate over immigration policy in the United States, highlighting the tensions between the executive branch and the judiciary over the implementation of presidential directives.
