The Supreme Court of the United States blocked a regulation proposed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday. The provision, which sought to deny the right to citizenship based on the principle of “jus soli” (birthright citizenship) to the children of undocumented immigrants and some foreigners with temporary visas, was overturned. With a six-to-three vote, the court affirmed that all individuals born on US soil are entitled to US citizenship.
In his opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts argued that the authors of the 14th Amendment after the Civil War intentionally used the term “citizenship” broadly. This interpretation rejected those views that aimed to restrict citizenship rights. However, Justice Clarence Thomas countered this argument. He contended that the Amendment was originally intended solely to secure equal rights for formerly enslaved Black people, and argued that it has since been misused for political agendas.
Trump initially offered no reaction to the Supreme Court’s loss. Instead, he praised two other rulings that the court published almost simultaneously. These separate opinions involved the justices placing limits on political party spending and upholding bans on transgender girls and women participating in wrestling at public schools.
