Supreme Court Weighs Decision on Birthright Citizenship: What To Know
Source: Newsweek
Nov 21, 2025 at 02:27 PM EST
The U.S. Supreme Court is meeting in private on Friday to consider taking on President Donald Trumps order ending birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to noncitizen parents, according to the Associated Press.
Why It Matters
Moments after taking office for his second term, Trump signed an executive order titled "PROTECTING THE MEANING AND VALUE OF AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP. Trump's executive action seeks to prevent children born on U.S. soil from automatically receiving citizenship if neither parent was an American citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of birth.
The concept of birthright citizenship has long been established in the U.S., with the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States."
Trump pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history. His administration reported in September that 2 million illegal aliens have been removed or self-deported in just 250 days.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/supreme-court-weighs-decision-on-birthright-citizenship-what-to-know-11090545
This has been simmering on the back burner while the tariffs (and a million other issues) were in the spotlight.
The SCOTUS can complete the destruction of the United States of America if they even attempt to consider the 14th Amendment (where "Amendments" are something that require a full court press to enact and to repeal via the same process), "unconstitutional", or even try to cherry-pick some nonsense "exceptions". I believe that 4 Appellate Courts were like - "Oh HELL no" about that E.O.
yankee87
(2,743 posts)I have a bad feeling that SCOTUS is going to give him this and not tariffs.
kimbutgar
(26,533 posts)And 4 of his children were born of mothers who were naturalized?
reACTIONary
(6,872 posts)... which is none the less bull shit, one parent who is a citizen is enough. And naturalization makes you a citizen, so in this case, two parents are citizens.
Timewas
(2,602 posts)Since it is actually in the constitution,and I don't see any ambiguity in the wording,that it would take an ammendment to change that not just an opinion.
BumRushDaShow
(163,952 posts)There was nothing "ambiguous" about this -
Amendment XVIII
Section 1.
After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.
Section 2.
The Congress and the several states shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
(snip)
https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxviii
that lead to this -
Amendment XXI
Section 1.
The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
(snip)
https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxxi
Timewas
(2,602 posts)BumRushDaShow
(163,952 posts)with it not requiring an amendment to change it based on the explicit language (and I would agree). But I am showing how they have done an amendment to repeal a previous amendment and if the SCOTUS starts cherry-picking and giving out hints, or even throws out the 14th Amendment, then there's a whole convoluted process that would be needed to put it back, which might not happen, and we're screwed.
mgardener
(2,242 posts)What about the children of Russian mothers who had their babies in the US while staying at Trump's hotels in Florida?
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/birth-tourism-brings-russian-baby-boom-miami-n836121
https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/to-the-contrary/clip/ttc-extra-russian-birth-tourism-trump-properties-qj0wgl
https://theweek.com/speedreads/748344/russian-birth-tourists-are-flocking-miami-trump-condos-give-birth-american-citizens
It was OK when Trump was making money from it.
AZJonnie
(2,433 posts)Or is this just unclear wording by the author? SCOTUS cannot possibly strip millions of people's citizenship with the stroke of 5 pens, can they?!? Leave them all with citizenship NOWHERE?
I mean, obviously the idea that it's Constitutional even moving forward w/o a new amendment is ludicrous given the clear wording of the amendment but I cannot even fathom doing it retroactively.
Although, that might be SCOTUS's only avenue to give the Mango Menace what he wants, because they'd probably have to (arbitrarily) rule that the enforcement of the amendment all along was due to flawed interpretation and that therefore would imply that what was done in the past is null and void (similar to the tariff conundrum).
I cannot believe this is a serious question/case before them that they are considering
reACTIONary
(6,872 posts).... while it is bullshit, is not retractive.
AZJonnie
(2,433 posts)Because I'd imagine the only way they could allow the EO is by declaring that the 14th Amendment simply doesn't apply to a specific class of people, due to an ongoing historical misinterpretation. Which could mean that it cannot just be applied only to people born in the future. I would guess it's either rejected as unconstitutional (as it should be) or literally everyone born here w/o at least one parent being a citizen or natural-born citizen at the time of birth would become no longer a citizen. But I'm not a lawyer, so ... this is just my worry.
reACTIONary
(6,872 posts).... and you have hit on one that I haven't heard mentioned as yet. So this conundrum, what to do about all those already citizens, would be another thorn in the foot that might help keep the justices from hobbling in that direction.
I hope.
PSPS
(15,135 posts)The way the corrupt supreme court justices roll is this:
1. Determine what you want the decision to be.
2. Compare that to what the law says now.
3. Discard any stare decisis.
4. Without breaking your back, make up a convoluted "opinion" that somehow "justifies" your move from #2 to #1 regardless of its embarrassing lack of legal merit. Feel free to throw in bible verses.
5. Collect that bag with your name and a large dollar sign on it when you retire to your home-bound bullet-proof limousine with its armed guards.
AZJonnie
(2,433 posts)turbinetree
(26,805 posts)cstanleytech
(28,076 posts)Shipwack
(2,933 posts)One state declined to have Trump on the ballot because he was accused of insurrection. The language was plain and unambiguous.
The Supremes decided that since the amendment wasnt written well enough, it could be disregarded.
Im ready for a repeat. They might even copy/paste most of the previous decision to save time.
BumRushDaShow
(163,952 posts)and actually let NM's Cuoy Griffin hang from that Clause - Supreme Court lets insurrectionist ban against New Mexico official stand
Shipwack
(2,933 posts)The Supremes rule so that only their guy gets a deal. See also Bush v.Gore.
If Trump running for a third term was brought before them, they would find a way to let Trump run, but not Obama.
Cirsium
(3,212 posts)300+ million people are US citizens by virtue of having been born in the US. How can they strip all of those people of citizenship? It is absurd that it is even an issue.
mdbl
(7,891 posts)They could have just rejected it out of plain ignorance of the Constitution.