The US Supreme Court upheld the constitutional provision guaranteeing birthright citizenship by a 6-3 vote, just days before the country's 250th anniversary. The ruling was seen as a major blow to President Donald Trump's attempt to abolish birthright citizenship through an executive order.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump sarcastically said, 'I congratulate Chinese President Xi and the great country of China on their great victory on birthright citizenship.' White House advisor Stephen Miller described the court's decision as 'national self-destruction.'
In the same session, the Supreme Court significantly weakened Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a program launched in 1990 that provides temporary legal residency and work permits to those fleeing their countries due to war or instability. The decision will directly affect hundreds of thousands of people, including Haitians, Syrians, Lebanese, Sudanese, and Ukrainians.
The court also upheld a policy, first enacted during the Trump administration, that allows the government to turn away asylum seekers at southern border entry points. In her dissenting opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said, 'Today, the court has blessed the executive's decision to slam the door on everyone fleeing persecution, despite the detailed asylum system enacted by Congress.'
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is working at an unprecedented pace since the civil rights era to strip American citizens of their citizenship. In Congress, the 'Anti-Sharia Group,' formed by about 60 Republican representatives from 25 states, is drawing attention with Islamophobic rhetoric.
