Supreme Court Weighs Trump’s Challenge to Birthright Citizenship

The US Supreme Court is considering whether to hear former President Donald Trump’s appeal over his executive order seeking to limit birthright citizenship.

The order aims to end automatic citizenship for children born in the United States to parents without permanent legal status. Lower courts have ruled the directive unconstitutional, citing the 14th Amendment’s longstanding guarantee that citizenship is granted to anyone born on US soil. 

That interpretation has traditionally applied to the children of undocumented immigrants and those whose parents are in the country on temporary visas. Trump’s measure would require that at least one parent be a US citizen or lawful permanent resident for a child to receive citizenship at birth. 

Under the order, a birth certificate alone would not be sufficient for proof of nationality. Federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration, would need documentation confirming a parent’s qualifying immigration status at the time of the child’s birth.

The proposal would significantly alter established citizenship practices. Families involving undocumented or temporary residents, including students and foreign workers, would face new verification requirements.