Former U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated his efforts to end birthright citizenship by bringing the case before the Supreme Court.
Trump’s executive order, signed on his first day in office, seeks to revoke birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. However, federal district courts in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington state blocked the order.
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizenship to individuals born on American soil. In response to legal challenges, the Justice Department filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court, requesting a narrowing of the lower court injunctions. The department argued that these nationwide injunctions should only apply to the individual plaintiffs in the cases.
Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris characterized the request as “modest,” emphasizing that the government is not seeking a ruling on the constitutionality of eliminating birthright citizenship at this stage.
“Those universal injunctions prohibit a Day 1 Executive Order from being enforced anywhere in the country,” Harris wrote in the filing. She urged the Supreme Court to limit the injunctions to the parties directly involved in the lawsuits.
Trump continues to face legal challenges across the country as he pursues measures to curb illegal immigration, cut government spending, and reduce the federal workforce.
