US President, Donald Trump has escalated his controversial effort to end birthright citizenship by taking the matter to the Supreme Court.
Trump’s executive order, signed on his first day back in office, seeks to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants. However, federal courts in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington state blocked the order, ruling that it contradicts the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
In an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court, the Justice Department is not yet asking for a final ruling on the constitutionality of eliminating birthright citizenship. Instead, Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris has requested the Court to narrow the nationwide injunctions imposed by lower courts, limiting them only to the plaintiffs in the cases.
“While the parties litigate weighty merits questions, the Court should restrict the scope of multiple preliminary injunctions that purport to cover every person in the country,” Harris argued.
The battle over birthright citizenship is part of a broader legal pushback against Trump’s immigration policies. His administration has faced multiple court rulings blocking efforts to curb illegal immigration, slash government spending, and reduce the federal workforce.
In a separate legal setback, a California district judge ruled on Thursday that six federal agencies must reinstate thousands of probationary workers who were previously dismissed.
The Supreme Court, with a conservative majority that includes three justices nominated by Trump, is expected to play a decisive role in determining the extent of the president’s executive powers as legal challenges mount.
