US Supreme Court to consider Trump's attempt to eliminate birthright citizenship

The United States Supreme Court has agreed to consider former President Donald Trump's attempt to terminate birthright citizenship. While the court has not yet scheduled oral arguments, the hearings are expected to take place early next year, with a decision anticipated by June.

Trump's initiative to restrict automatic citizenship for individuals born on American soil has been blocked by several lower courts, which deemed it unconstitutional. On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order declaring that children born in the US to parents residing illegally or on temporary visas would not automatically qualify as American citizens.

Judges at lower courts determined that the order violated the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof." The administration argued that undocumented immigrants and temporary visa holders are not fully "subject to the jurisdiction" of the US, but the Supreme Court previously rejected such a narrow interpretation in an 1898 landmark case.

Additionally, the Trump administration contended that the 14th Amendment, enacted after the Civil War, was intended to protect the rights of former slaves, not children of undocumented migrants or temporary residents. The order, initially set to take effect on February 19, was blocked by multiple judicial rulings.

District Judge John Coughenour, who oversaw the case in Washington state, called the executive order "blatantly unconstitutional," noting, "I've been on the bench for over four decades; I can't recall another case where the question presented is as clear as this one."

The Supreme Court currently has a 6-3 conservative majority, including three justices appointed by Trump.

Author: Ava Mitchell