US President Donald Trump says he will immediately ask the US Supreme Court to reconsider its recent ruling that upheld birthright citizenship, escalating his legal battle over one of the most contentious issues in his immigration agenda.
The announcement comes just a week after the nation’s highest court ruled that children born on US soil are constitutionally entitled to American citizenship, rejecting Trump’s executive order that sought to restrict the long-standing policy.
Writing on social media on Wednesday, Trump sharply criticized the decision, calling it a “miscarriage of justice” and warning that it would have lasting consequences for the country if left unchanged.
Although Supreme Court rules allow parties to request a rehearing within 25 days of a decision, such requests are rarely granted. The court has not agreed to rehear a decided case in roughly six decades, making Trump’s effort a significant long shot.
The ruling, delivered on 30 June in a 6-3 decision, represented a major setback for the president’s efforts to reshape US immigration policy. At the same time, civil rights organizations welcomed the judgment, arguing that it reaffirmed constitutional protections that have existed for more than 150 years.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, said children born in the United States to parents who are either undocumented or temporarily in the country are citizens from birth under the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution.
Trump’s executive order had argued that such children were not fully “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and therefore should not automatically receive citizenship. The administration maintained that the constitutional provision had been interpreted too broadly for decades.
Five justices, including Chief Justice Roberts, concluded that the executive order violated the Constitution. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, while writing separately, also stated that the order conflicted with existing federal law.
Following the court’s decision, Trump pledged to continue pursuing changes to birthright citizenship through Congress. Any legislative effort, however, would require approval from both chambers before becoming law.
Birthright citizenship has been recognized in the United States since the adoption of the 14th Amendment in 1868. Over the years, multiple Supreme Court decisions have reinforced the principle that nearly everyone born on American soil automatically becomes a US citizen, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.
Trump’s latest move signals that the legal and political debate over birthright citizenship is far from over, even as constitutional scholars note that overturning the long-established interpretation would face significant legal hurdles.
