Overview

• The Supreme Court held oral arguments on May 15, 2025, focusing on the scope of nationwide injunctions rather than the constitutionality of Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship.
• Trump's order, issued in January, denies automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. unless one parent is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, a policy widely criticized as unconstitutional.
• Federal judges in three states issued nationwide injunctions blocking the order, arguing it violates the 14th Amendment and over a century of legal precedent.
• The Trump administration seeks to limit injunctions to only the plaintiffs or states involved, which could allow the order to take effect in 28 states, creating uneven citizenship laws across the country.
• The case highlights broader debates over judicial authority, executive power, and the potential chaos of varying citizenship rules by state, with a ruling anticipated by early summer.