US Supreme Court rejects Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship

US Supreme Court rejects Donald Trump's bid to restrict birthright citizenship Wed 1 Jul 2026 at 1:03am Donald Trump's controversial attempt to restrict birthright citizenship in the US has been rejected by the Supreme Court, upending the president's hardline agenda on immigration. The 6-3 ruling marked the second time this year that the court has invalidated one of Mr Trump's major initiatives, following its February decision to strike down his sweeping global tariffs. The justices upheld a lower court's decision that blocked Mr Trump's executive order directing US agencies not to recognise the citizenship of children born in the US if neither parent is an American citizen or legal permanent resident, also called a "green card" holder. Challengers to Mr Trump's order argued that it violates language in the US Constitution's 14th Amendment that confers citizenship to those born in America who are "subject to the jurisdiction thereof". Mr Trump, who has repeatedly tested the limits of presidential power in domestic and foreign policy, issued the order last year on his first day back in office as part of a suite of policies to crack down on legal and illegal immigration. Critics have accused the Republican president of racial and religious discrimination in his approach to immigration. The Supreme Court weighed in on what it means to be an American citizen just ahead of the July 4 holiday, when the US will mark the 250th anniversary of its founding. Ahead of the ruling, some experts had estimated that Mr Trump's directive could affect the legal status of as many as 250,000 babies born each year and could require the families of millions more to prove the citizenship status of their newborns. Loading