The U.S. Supreme Court has made a landmark decision to preserve birthright citizenship rejecting an executive order by President Donald Trump that sought to end this long-standing constitutional guarantee. The ruling, announced on June 30, 2026 has significant implications for immigrant families, particularly in states like Texas which has the nation’s second-largest immigrant population.
The decision comes after a lengthy legal battle that began when Trump signed an executive order on his first day back in office in 2026. This order directed federal agencies not to recognize automatic citizenship for children born to noncitizen parents after its enactment. The move prompted immediate backlash from Democratic-led states and civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The Supreme Court’s Decision and Its Implications
The Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling reaffirms the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship, which has been in place for over a century. This decision ensures that children born in the United States to noncitizen parents will continue to receive automatic U.S. citizenship at birth. The ruling is particularly significant in Texas where approximately 750,000 children under age 17 with noncitizen parents were residing as of 2026 according to data from The Urban Institute.
Governor Greg Abbott and Senator Ted Cruz were among the prominent figures who criticized the ruling. Abbott described it as “a missed opportunity,” arguing that birthright citizenship has become “a powerful magnet for illegal immigration.” Cruz went further, calling the ruling “a travesty.” Both politicians contended that the automatic citizenship for children born to noncitizen parents was “an absurdity that was never contemplated by our Constitution.”
The Legal Journey to the Supreme Court
Trump’s executive order aimed to deny automatic citizenship to children born to mothers without legal status, as well as those whose fathers were neither U.S. citizens nor lawful permanent residents. The order also applied to mothers in the U.S. temporarily, such as on student, work, or tourist visas. The Trump administration argued that the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause does not guarantee citizenship to everyone born on U.S. soil, contending that the children covered by the executive order aren’t “subject to the jurisdiction” of the country.
The Supreme Court initially heard arguments in the case back in . The court’s ultimate rejection of the Trump administration’s view with its June 30, 2026 decision marked a significant victory for advocates of birthright citizenship. The ruling likely closes the door on future attempts to restrict birthright citizenship through executive action or federal legislation, leaving a constitutional amendment as the only remaining path—a scenario described as unlikely by advocates.
Advocates Praise the Decision
The ACLU one of the groups that sued to block the order, celebrated the ruling as a victory for the Constitution. Cecillia Wang legal director of the ACLU, stated, “The court’s decision reaffirms a fundamental American promise — if you are born here, you are a citizen.” The Texas Civil Rights Project and Juan Proaño CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) also welcomed the decision.
Proaño highlighted the potential consequences of the executive order, stating that it “would create a class of stateless children born in the United States, but not a citizen of the United States.” He added that families may have avoided hospitals to give birth “out of an abundance of concern given the legal jeopardy that it would actually create for them and for their children.” The ruling spared families from what LULAC believes would have been widespread confusion and fear.