Nicolai Haugsted
Trump doubles down after losing major Supreme Court battle
Another legal setback has done little to change President Donald Trump’s plans for one of his most controversial immigration policies. Instead of backing away, the president is now urging Congress to take action after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to side with his administration.
The dispute centers on birthright citizenship, a constitutional principle that has guaranteed U.S. citizenship to nearly everyone born on American soil for more than 150 years.
Supreme Court blocks Trump’s effort
Shortly after returning to the White House in 2025, Trump signed an executive order seeking to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the United States if their parents were in the country illegally or only temporarily.
That effort has now been stopped by the Supreme Court, says Unilad.
In a 6-3 decision, the justices reaffirmed the long-standing interpretation of the 14th Amendment, concluding that people born in the United States are citizens except in very limited circumstances.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote:
“Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights—to freely participate in our political community… We keep that promise today.”
The ruling leaves intact a constitutional protection that has existed since the amendment was adopted in 1868 following the Civil War.
Trump turns to Congress
Rather than accepting the decision, Trump quickly argued that lawmakers should accomplish through legislation what his executive order could not.
On Truth Social, the president wrote:
“The Supreme Court upheld Birthright Citizenship, which is too bad for our Country… Congress should start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship. They will have my Complete and Total Support!”
Legal experts, however, note that Congress cannot simply rewrite the Constitution through ordinary legislation. Any change to the 14th Amendment would require the formal constitutional amendment process, including approval by two-thirds of both chambers of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states.
Trump has repeatedly argued that birthright citizenship should be restricted, making the issue a central part of his immigration agenda despite the latest court defeat.
