The United States Supreme Court ruled on June 30, 2026, that former President Donald Trump's executive order restricting birthright citizenship is unlawful. In a 6-3 decision, justices maintained the constitutional guarantee that nearly everyone born on US soil is entitled to citizenship.
Trump had issued the order on the first day of his second term last year, directing government agencies not to recognize citizenship for children born in the US if neither parent is a US citizen or a legal permanent resident (green card holder). Critics argued the order violated the 14th Amendment, which confers automatic citizenship to those born in the United States.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) praised the ruling, calling birthright citizenship "one of the clearest statements of who we are as a country." They emphasized that citizenship is the right to have rights and to participate freely in the political community, a promise extended by the Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment to "every free-born person in this land."
The ruling contrasts with the United Kingdom's approach, where the British Nationality Act of 1981 abolished birthright citizenship (jus soli). In the UK, citizenship is granted only if at least one parent is a British citizen or has "settled status."
Additionally, the court ruled 6-3 that limits on the amount of money political parties can spend on election campaigns violate First Amendment protections of free speech. This decision sided with Vice President JD Vance and other Republican plaintiffs. According to Reuters, the Republican National Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, and National Republican Senatorial Committee collectively held $256 million in funds with no debt as of May.
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