Supreme Court Blocks Trump’s Push to End Birthright Citizenship

Briefing|Supreme Court Blocks Trump’s Push to End Birthright Citizenship

The Supreme Court said today that President Trump’s executive order limiting birthright citizenship had violated the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. The justices, in a 6-to-3 decision, reaffirmed the long-held principle that children born on U.S. soil are American citizens.

The ruling blocked Trump’s effort to prevent babies born to undocumented immigrants and temporary foreign residents from automatically becoming Americans. Chief Justice John Roberts — who was joined in the majority by all three liberals, as well as conservative justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh — cited the views of the lawmakers who approved the 14th Amendment: “Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights — to freely participate in our political community,” he wrote.

In dissent, Justice Samuel Alito called the ruling a “serious mistake” that opened the door to those he called “birth tourists.” On social media, the president called the Supreme Court’s decision “too bad for our Country,” and urged Congress to take up the issue with legislation. My colleagues explained why that’s unlikely.

The justices allow bans on trans athletes in girls’ sports

The Supreme Court also announced today that it was upholding two state laws that bar transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports teams. The 6-to-3 decision means that all 27 states with such restrictions — nearly every red state in the country — will most likely be allowed to maintain their laws. It could also put pressure on states without bans.

The case centered on two transgender plaintiffs — a college student who wanted to compete on a women’s track team, and a high schooler who recently won a state shot put title — who argued that the laws violated the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection. However, in the majority opinion, Kavanaugh wrote: “Allowing a biological male athlete to compete on a girls’ team necessarily displaces or disadvantages a female athlete.”

The court also lifts spending limits on political parties

In another 6-to-3 decision along ideological lines, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority removed restrictions on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates. The ruling further expanded the power of big money in American politics, and delivered a major victory for Republicans.