Birthright Citizenship: What's Next After the Supreme Court's Big Decision?

The Supreme Court recently made a decision that didn't directly address the big question: Can the president end birthright citizenship? Instead, they focused on whether individual judges can block federal policies across the entire country. This decision is complex but important, as it changes how federal courts operate. For now, nothing changes regarding birthright citizenship. The Supreme Court said the president's order to end it won't take effect for the next 30 days. So, anyone born in the U. S. during this time will still be a citizen. After these 30 days, lower courts will likely make more rulings on this issue. The decision also affects how lawsuits against federal policies are handled. Previously, courts could block policies nationwide. Now, they can only block policies for the people directly involved in the lawsuit. This means that if someone wants to challenge a policy, they might need to file a class-action lawsuit to get a nationwide ruling. This change could impact many areas, not just immigration. It could affect environmental policies, voting rights, and more. The Supreme Court's decision might lead to different rules in different states, creating a patchwork of laws. This could be confusing and inconsistent. Some experts worry that the language in the decision could lead to judges applying the rules differently based on their political beliefs. However, the Supreme Court left some room for nationwide injunctions in certain cases, like class-action lawsuits.