Supreme Court Brings Term to End with Major Ruling on Birthright Citizenship
The Supreme Court is ending its term with a couple of major decisions. On Tuesday, the court upheld birthright citizenship while also ruling to allow states to ban transgender athletes from competing on girls' teams. Here is a closer look at both of these landmark rulings and what they mean going forward.
Court Upholds Birthright Citizenship, Dealing a Blow to Trump
In what can only be described as a significant loss for President Donald Trump, the highest court in the land ruled to uphold birthright citizenship, overturning a Trump administration executive order. Chief Justice John Roberts joined Justice Amy Coney Barrett in joining the court's three liberal justices in the 6 - 3 ruling. Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Neil Gorsuch, and Justice Clarence Thomas were the dissenting voices, continuing the trend of the court's three most conservative justices ruling in alignment.
Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh voted to repeal the president's executive order ending the right; however, he voted on statutory rather than constitutional grounds. Although Kavanaugh agreed with the majority that Trump's order was unlawful, he dissented from the majority opinion.
Birthright citizenship dates back 160 years, granting citizenship to any individual born on U.S. soil. This practice is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. In the ruling, Roberts wrote that citizenship was defined as "the right to have rights." Roberts noted that "the Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to every free-born person in this land. We keep that promise today."
Justice Alito wrote a dissent, slamming his colleagues for rejecting the Trump administration's effort to end birthright citizenship. Alito wrote that the majority ruling was "a serious mistake," going on to say that the majority ruling "preserves a powerful incentive to enter or remain in this country illegally.”
Trump's attorneys had argued that the 14th Amendment required that individuals be domiciled, meaning that they intended to live in the U.S. in order to be granted this type of citizenship. However, the court did not agree with this argument.
It did not take long for the Trump-friendly Department of Justice (DOJ) to react to the ruling. The DOJ sent a letter to all U.S. attorneys on Tuesday, urging them to prioritize investigations into what they called "birth tourism schemes." The Trump administration is also now urging Congress to take action to pass legislation making birthright citizenship illegal. This effort will likely face opposition on both sides of the aisle.
Court Rules in Favor of States Banning Transgender Athletes from Competing in Girls' Sports
While the conservatives suffered a blow with Tuesday's birthright citizenship ruling, they came out as the winners in the ruling on transgender athletes. In this decision, the court ruled that states had the power to ban transgender athletes from competing on girls' sports teams. The emotionally charged decision comes amid an ongoing legal backlash targeting trans Americans living in red states.
This vote also came in at 6 - 3 along ideological lines. In his majority opinion, Justice Kavanaugh emphasized that the students involved in this issue should be treated with respect.
What does the decision mean? More than half of the nation's states have enacted laws banning transgender students from participating in girls' sports. This means that these laws will stand.
In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the court's majority was in the wrong ruling that trans student athletes cannot bring challenges to state bans on this type of athletic participation. The ruling is a loss for the nation's LGBTQ movement. However, the decision was not unexpected, given the court's earlier ruling that allowed states to prohibit the use of transgender care for minors.
It should be noted that the ruling does not change the laws in states that allow transgender students to compete in ways that align with their gender identity. States with these policies in place do not have to change them. LGBTQ supporters worry that conservative lawmakers who oppose trans athletes’ participation will now feel emboldened to advocate for bans in states that support the participation of trans students in the sport of their choice.
Trump reacted to the ruling, calling it a "BIG WIN." In a rare public comment on policy, First Lady Melania Trump also praised the decision on Tuesday, taking to X to offer support to both sides. In the social media post, Melania Trump wrote, “America, we can support the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community and also protect opportunities for female athletes. Respect everyone and keep girls’ sports fair. Both ideals are essential.”
Tuesday marked the last day of the court's current term. While there have been some deviations here and there, the court largely ruled as a 6 - 3 conservative majority. The Trump administration suffered a few losses, but the majority of the rulings benefitted the president and the Republican Party.
Curious for more stories that keep you informed and entertained? From the latest headlines to everyday insights, YourLifeBuzz has more to explore. Dive into what’s next.