MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court declared President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship for certain U.S.-born children unconstitutional. Trump v. Barbara centered around an executive order signed in January 2025 that would have refused to grant citizenship to children born in the U.S. whose parents are not citizens or lawful permanent residents.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) applauds this commonsense decision, which reaffirms the long-standing precedent established by the 14th Amendment that has guaranteed Americans born on U.S. soil the legal protections promised by the Constitution.
“The 14th Amendment, ratified during Reconstruction, clearly established birthright citizenship, regardless of race,” said Arthur Ago, director of strategic litigation and advocacy, SPLC. “One hundred and sixty years later, we are still being forced to litigate these rights because this administration refuses to follow the law for fear that it will get in the way of its mass deportation agenda.
“Thankfully, the U.S. Supreme Court reasserted what the courts have held to be true in legal challenges to birthright citizenship for more than a century: Children born in the U.S. are U.S. citizens. Period,” Ago continued. “Americans cannot be thrown out of our borders and rendered nationless at the whims of a president.”
About the Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements and advance the human rights of all people. For more information, visit www.splcenter.org.