Trump seeks to redefine who gets to be an American with birthright citizenship case

The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on whether President Trump can use an executive order to strip birthright citizenship from children born on U.S. soil—a principle embedded in the 14th Amendment since 1868. Trump made an unprecedented in-person appearance at oral arguments to defend the administration's position, but most justices appeared skeptical of the government's legal theory during more than two hours of questioning. The case centers on whether the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause, which grants citizenship to those "born or naturalized in the United States," can be narrowed through executive action or whether only Congress has authority to redefine who qualifies. A ruling in Trump's favor would overturn longstanding constitutional interpretation and potentially affect millions of children born to undocumented immigrants. The decision could reshape American citizenship law and immigration policy, with significant implications for the roughly 200,000 to 300,000 babies born annually to undocumented parents in the U.S.