In a significant ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that individual federal judges do not have the authority to issue nationwide injunctions.
The decision has broad implications, particularly for President Donald Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants, according to the Associated Press.
Although the Court sided with the idea that such sweeping injunctions overstep judicial boundaries, it left unresolved whether Trump’s executive order could be enforced nationwide.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for the conservative majority, explained that lower courts must now revisit their rulings and tailor them to affect only the plaintiffs involved.
The decision delays enforcement of the policy for at least 30 days, offering a temporary reprieve.
In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned the decision could allow the executive branch to implement policies that may be unconstitutional unless broader relief mechanisms remain accessible.
Civil rights organizations quickly responded by exploring alternate legal strategies.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in a concurring opinion, suggested that judges might still be able to protect broader groups by designating them as part of a “putative nationwide class.”
Opponents of the executive order — including states like Massachusetts — are preparing to argue that halting the policy nationwide is essential to uphold the 14th Amendment.
The 14th Amendment, ratified after the Civil War, guarantees citizenship to anyone born on American soil — a principle known as jus soli or “right of the soil.” This has been the foundation of American birthright citizenship for over a century, reaffirmed by the Supreme Court in the 1898 case United States v. Wong Kim Ark.
Trump’s administration challenged that interpretation by claiming that children of undocumented immigrants are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S., and therefore ineligible for citizenship.
While courts have consistently ruled against the Trump administration on this issue, the legal landscape remains in flux as both sides prepare for the next round of litigation.
As Attorney General Andrea Campbell of Massachusetts affirmed, “We have every expectation we absolutely will be successful in keeping the 14th Amendment as the law of the land and of course birthright citizenship as well.”
