The Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship in a 6-3 decision Tuesday, striking down President Donald Trump’s executive order to end it. Trump issued the executive order at the center of the case on January 20, 2025, shortly after being sworn into office for a second term. It states that children who are born in the United States to parents who are in this country illegally or temporarily are not automatically entitled to citizenship. The Supreme Court ended the year-long debate and said that anyone born in America is a citizen.
Which 3 judges expressed dissent?
In a dissenting opinion, Justice Samuel Alito called the decision “one of the most important decisions in the history of the Court” and “a serious mistake.” In addition to Justice Alito, Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Neil Gorsuch also dissented from today’s decision.Justice Alito said, “Suppose a person’s only connection to this country is that he was born here to a mother who was present long enough to give birth and then promptly return to her country of origin.” “Suppose that country is a strategic rival or enemy of the United States. Suppose the child never visited the United States while growing up and developed a hatred of this country. Now, according to this court, that person is a citizen of the United States. He can enter and leave the country at will. He can travel the world on a United States passport. Even if he plots harm to this country, at least under current precedent, he is subject to a cannot be deprived of his status as a citizen,” Justice Alito said.Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined five others in upholding birthright citizenship, but his reasoning was different. “In my view, the Executive Order does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment,” they wrote in an opinion explaining their differences. “The constitutional issue is not as straightforward as we would like.”
Reaction to Supreme Court order
Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and architect of Trump’s anti-immigration policies, called the decision devastating and outrageous. Miller said, “American citizenship is not the birthright of the world. It is for Americans alone and exclusively. No provision of the Constitution can be read as requiring our national self-destruction.”“The Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship decision is wrong, dangerous, and destructive to American sovereignty and the American people,” GOP Senator Eric Schmitt wrote. “If we can’t fix this with common law, we must do what the Constitution commands in moments of national crisis: We must amend the Constitution and restore American citizenship. We must again put ‘We the People’ first. … This decision is the ultimate alarm bell.”““We’re supposed to be a country, not an orphanage. You can’t break down our fence, have a baby, cheat the system, and expect our taxpayers to support your child,” shouted right-wing influencer and Charlie Kirk disciple Brilynn Holyhand. “We will be one country again one day. Illegals will be deported and birthright citizenship will end. If you are a legal immigrant and will not assimilate you will be denaturalized. We cannot be trampled any longer if we want to survive the next 250 years.“