Supreme Court Challenges Trump Administration Over Birthright Citizenship Injunctions

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments concerning President Trump's executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents unlawfully present or non-citizens. A key issue was whether lower courts have the authority to issue nationwide injunctions blocking the executive order, with the Trump administration arguing against such broad injunctions. Justice Amy Coney Barrett questioned Solicitor General John Sauer about whether the administration intends to respect circuit court rulings declaring the order unconstitutional, to which Sauer replied that the Department of Justice generally respects precedents but not in every case, especially when seeking to overturn them. Liberal justices, including Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan, defended the use of nationwide injunctions and criticized the administration's repeated losses in federal courts over the matter. Concerns were raised about the potential legal confusion and unequal application of citizenship rights if injunctions were limited, possibly forcing individual children to sue for citizenship depending on their state. The debate highlighted tensions over the interpretation of the 14th Amendment and the practical implications for millions of Americans.