Supreme Court Upholds Birthright Citizenship, Strikes Down Trump Order
8 verified3 unconfirmed2 contested
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that children born in the United States are citizens under the 14th Amendment, even if their parents are in the country unlawfully or temporarily. The decision struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order that had sought to restrict birthright citizenship. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justice Clarence Thomas authored a dissent arguing that citizenship requires a deeper relationship to the country beyond mere birth on U.S. soil. The ruling reaffirms a long-standing interpretation of the Citizenship Clause that traces back to English common law and the 1898 Supreme Court case United States v. Wong Kim Ark. The decision was released on the final day of the court’s term.
What’s verified
The Supreme Court ruled that children born in the U.S. are citizens under the 14th Amendment regardless of their parents’ immigration status.
The decision struck down President Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion.
The overall vote was 6-3 against the executive order.
The majority consisted of Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, Barrett, and Jackson.
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a dissent.
The executive order was issued at the start of Trump’s second term.
The ruling was released on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.
Where accounts differ
The vote margin: Two sources report the decision as 6‑3. A third source reports that the constitutional ruling was 5‑4, with a sixth justice concurring on statutory grounds, making the overall result 6‑3 against the executive order.
The composition of the dissent: One source lists two dissenting justices (Thomas and Alito), while another source lists three (Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch).
Not yet confirmed
Whether Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote a separate opinion responding to Thomas’s dissent is reported by only one source.
The case name “Trump v. Barbara” appears in only one source.
The fact that President Trump personally attended oral arguments in April appears in only one source.
Key figures
Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Elena Kagan, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Justice Neil Gorsuch, President Donald Trump, Solicitor General D. John Sauer
Sources: abcnews.com, dw.com, vox.com
