High Court Ruling on Brthright Citizenship—
By Terri Dee, producer, Indiana News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to remove or limit birthright citizenship. The 6-3 vote was handed down today.
The ruling concerns children born in the United States to parents who are in the country illegally or who have temporary immigration or visa status. The decision permanently invalidates actions to deny automatic citizenship to newborns based on their parents’ immigration or visa status.
ACLU of Indiana Legal Director Ken Falk said the decision is clear.
The Ruling Based on the Constitution
“The 14th Amendment is explicit, saying that all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States,” Falk said. “I’m not surprised that the court found, in fact, that the 14th Amendment means what it says.”
Falk said the court’s decision settles the question of who is considered legally a citizen at birth. The ruling recognizes that any person born on American soil is a fully fledged citizen and must be treated as such under federal law.
Trump Wants Restrictions On Citizenship
Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship would have applied to children of people in the United States unlawfully or temporarily. It would have included students and applicants attempting to secure green cards or permanent resident status.
Falk said six Supreme Court justices voted to adhere to the U.S. Constitution in their 200-page opinion. The Trump administration argued that the policy did not apply to all children born in the United States.
Falk said, “… a position that gained support, but not with the majority of the court.”
However, the battle may not be over. Despite his loss on the issue in the Supreme Court, Trump is vowing to try to get Congress to pass a law limiting birthright citizenship.
