Supreme Court to Hear Trump's Birthright Citizenship Case

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The U.S. Supreme Court is set to consider the legality of former President Donald Trump's directive to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States, a controversial plan tied to his efforts to curb immigration during his administration.

Why it matters

The case represents a high-stakes legal battle over one of the core tenets of the 14th Amendment, which has guaranteed citizenship for all persons born in the U.S. since 1868. Trump's push to limit birthright citizenship was a key part of his hardline immigration agenda, and the Supreme Court's ruling could have far-reaching implications for millions of people.

The details

Trump's directive sought to reinterpret the 14th Amendment's guarantee of citizenship for "all persons born or naturalized in the United States" by excluding the children of undocumented immigrants. The former president, who plans to attend the Supreme Court hearing, has argued that the amendment was not intended to grant automatic citizenship to such children.

• The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on Wednesday, April 2, 2026.

What’s next

The Supreme Court's ruling in this case will determine whether Trump's directive to restrict birthright citizenship is constitutional or not, with potentially far-reaching implications for immigration policy in the United States.