The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the right to birthright citizenship.
The right to be a U.S. citizen if born on U.S. soil was challenged by a January 2025 executive order issued by President Donald Trump (R).
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong (D) immediately filed a lawsuit.
When the decision came down on Tuesday, he quoted former president Ronald Reagan, “He said this: 'If you're born in Germany, it doesn't mean you're German. If you go to Japan or Turkey, it doesn't mean you're Japanese or Turkish. But if you come here from any corner of the globe, you can be an American,'" Tong said. “That is the enduring promise and hope and aspiration of all Americans, of all of us.”
The decision was a 5-4 split. Chief Justice John Roberts and Trump appointee Amy Coney Barrett sided with the three liberal justices on the decision.
“This is a second ratification of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, where they confirmed one more time, in case it wasn't clear, that the 14th Amendment and the citizenship clause mean what they say, and they say what they mean,” Tong said.
Trump expressed his disappointment with the decision on social media.
“…but we can easily make it up in Congress through Legislation, with the support of the President, that has now been determined during this process,” Trump said. “No long and unwieldy Constitutional Amendment is necessary! Congress should start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship.”
The decision was celebrated by both of Connecticut’s U.S. Senators.
“Today's decision is an incredible relief to the thousands of United States citizens born on American soil, whose citizenship is incontrovertible,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said. “In America, we follow the language of the Constitution, not the edicts of pretend Kings.”
“It’s just shocking this was a 5-4 ruling,” U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said. “The plain language of the Constitution is clear, and the fact that four justices chose to willingly ignore the Constitution in order to give Trump a total victory is a sign that this court is badly broken. I’m glad for the decision but deeply worried about the growing overt politicization of this court.”
The Supreme Court released several other consequential decisions on Tuesday: one that allows states to keep transgender kids out of girls' sports, and another that lets political parties spend as much as they want on candidates.
