In an unusual move, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in May on former President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to reinterpret the 14th Amendment and restrict birthright citizenship.
The order, signed on Trump’s first day back in office, aims to deny automatic U.S. citizenship to children born to undocumented immigrants or non-legal residents.
Lower courts blocked the policy, prompting emergency appeals. The 14th Amendment, ratified after the Civil War, has long been interpreted to grant citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil.
Trump contends this is a misinterpretation and says the amendment was intended only for formerly enslaved individuals and their descendants. The Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case so late in the term underscores its potential significance and constitutional impact.
