Overview
- The Supreme Court issued a 5–4 decision Tuesday that reaffirmed the 14th Amendment grants automatic citizenship to nearly all children born on U.S. soil and vacated President Trump’s January 2025 Executive Order seeking to narrow that rule.
- Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion defending the long‑standing interpretation of the 14th Amendment while Justice Samuel Alito wrote a dissent calling the decision a grave error.
- President Trump responded on Truth Social by urging Congress to abolish birthright citizenship and promised support for lawmakers who act, and the White House declined to provide specific next steps.
- Republican leaders said they would press for legislation or a constitutional amendment, but experts note that a change would likely require two‑thirds majorities in Congress and ratification by three‑quarters of states, making near‑term success unlikely.
- The decision comes as the court has also expanded some presidential powers in other cases, and public polling shows about two‑thirds of U.S. adults favor automatic birthright citizenship, a factor that shapes the political outlook heading into the fall elections.