Citizenship Clash: The Supreme Court's Next Big Decision

The Supreme Court has decided to keep a hold on a controversial policy by the Trump administration. This policy aims to restrict birthright citizenship for children of people who are in the U. S. illegally. The court will hear arguments on this issue in May. This decision comes after three district courts across the country halted the policy nationwide. Appeals courts have not interfered with these rulings. The Trump administration had hoped to narrow these court orders. They wanted the policy to take effect in most of the country while legal challenges continue. The Supreme Court will focus on this during the May 15 arguments. Birthright citizenship is a right enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. It automatically grants American citizenship to anyone born in the United States. This includes children born to mothers who are in the country illegally. Trump and his supporters argue for stricter standards for obtaining American citizenship. They view citizenship as a valuable and profound gift. The administration claims that children of noncitizens are not "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States. Therefore, they believe these children are not entitled to citizenship. Trump has expressed his happiness that the Supreme Court will hear the arguments. He believes the case has been misunderstood and suggests that the 14th Amendment is primarily about slavery. However, states, immigrants, and rights groups disagree. They accuse the administration of trying to disrupt the widely accepted understanding of birthright citizenship. Judges so far have ruled against the administration. The Justice Department argues that individual judges cannot give nationwide effect to their rulings. The administration wants the Supreme Court to allow Trump's plan to go into effect for everyone except those who sued. If that fails, they want the plan blocked only in the 22 states that sued. The administration also wants to make public announcements about the policy if it is eventually allowed to take effect. The Supreme Court's decision could create a confusing patchwork of rules. The state in which a child is born could determine whether citizenship is granted automatically. Several justices have previously raised concerns about nationwide injunctions. However, the court has never ruled on the matter. The administration has faced over 150 lawsuits over Trump's efforts to reshape the federal government. Judges have issued dozens of orders delaying the president's agenda.