From The Hill: The Supreme Court on Friday in a 6-3 ruling along ideological lines allowed President Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship to go into effect in some areas of the country, for now, by curtailing judges’ ability to block the president’s policies nationwide.
Ruling that three federal district judges went too far in issuing nationwide injunctions against Trump’s order, the high court’s decision claws back a key tool that plaintiffs have used to hamper the president’s agenda in dozens of lawsuits.
But it does not yet definitively resolve whether Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship are constitutional, a hefty legal question that could ultimately return to the justices.
Trump’s order blocks a person from getting birthright citizenship, even if they are born on U.S. soil, if they at least one of their parents does not have permanent legal status.
The lower court ruling has been narrowed to only block Trump’s order in 22 Democratic-led states and for specific groups.
“The applications do not raise—and thus we do not address—the question whether the Executive Order violates the Citizenship Clause or Nationality Act,” Justice Amy Coney Barrett said, writing for the majority. “The issue before us is one of remedy: whether, under the Judiciary Act of 1789, federal courts have equitable authority to issue universal injunctions.”
“A universal injunction can be justified only as an exercise of equitable authority, yet Congress has granted federal courts no such power,” she added.
BREAKING: In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court has effectively nuked the universal injunctions used by rogue district court judges. The opinion was written by Amy Coney Barrett. Sotomayor, Jackson, and Kagan dissented. pic.twitter.com/cyLVyXYXQm
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) June 27, 2025
Fox News reports (emphasis added):
The Supreme Court agreed in April to hear the consolidated cases, which focused on three lower court judges in Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington state who issued “universal” injunctions against Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order.
But that wasn’t the main focus of the appeal, or the May 15 oral arguments before the high court.
Rather, the justices considered whether lower courts should have the authority to issue nationwide injunctions at all, or whether doing so exceeds their authority, as argued by U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer.
Political social media influencer Nick Sortor wrote on X, “The Supreme Court just ruled 6-3 activist judges imposing universal injunctions likely EXCEED their powers granted by Congress. FINALLY! HUGE WIN for President Trump. MASSIVE LOSS for activist judges!”
🚨 #BREAKING: The Supreme Court just ruled 6-3 activist judges imposing universal injunctions likely EXCEED their powers granted by Congress
FINALLY!
HUGE WIN for President Trump. MASSIVE LOSS for activist judges! pic.twitter.com/lQRNJxu6Lj
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 27, 2025
READ MORE AT The Hill.
