Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday narrowed the reach of nationwide injunctions issued by lower courts, clearing a path for parts of former President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to restrict birthright citizenship to move forward.
The 6–3 decision limits judges’ ability to issue broad orders halting federal policies across the entire country, ruling that such sweeping injunctions often exceed judicial authority.
Trump’s birthright citizenship policy aimed to deny automatic U.S. citizenship to children born on American soil to undocumented immigrants. The plan faced immediate legal challenges, with several district courts blocking enforcement nationwide.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion that “universal injunctions interfere with the balance of powers and undermine the role of the judiciary,” while liberal justices warned the decision could make it harder for individuals to obtain nationwide relief from unconstitutional policies.
The ruling does not itself decide whether Trump’s birthright citizenship plan is lawful but sends the underlying lawsuits back to lower courts for further review. Immigration rights groups have pledged to continue challenging the policy on constitutional grounds.