The US Supreme Court today issued a 6-3 ruling that will curb judges’ powers to block President Trump’s orders nationwide
The case stems from President Donald Trump’s order to end the constitutional right of birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants
Today’s ruling will allow that birthright citizenship order to partially go into effect in 30 days
Almost everyone born on US territory is granted automatic citizenship
After a series of courts suspended Trump’s order, his administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that lower judges do not have the right to block presidential actions
There is a conservative majority in the Supreme Court and Trump appointed three of the nine justices
The most senior justice for the liberals – Sonia Sotomayor – has written a passionate dissent that she read from the bench. While she criticised the ruling to limit injunctions as essentially allowing the president to issue possibly illegal orders, she also asserted that birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the constitution.
Here are some key quotes:
“As every conceivable source of law confirms, birthright citizenship is the law of the land.”
“That holding renders constitutional guarantees meaningful in name only for any individuals who are not parties to a lawsuit. Because I will not be complicit in so grave an attack on our system of law, I dissent.
“A majority that has repeatedly pledged its fealty to ‘history and tradition’ thus eliminates an equitable power firmly grounded in centuries of equitable principles and practice. By stripping all federal courts, including itself, of that power, the Court kneecaps the Judiciary’s authority to stop the Executive from enforcing even the most unconstitutional policies.” Note: by “equitable power” she is referring to the idea that the courts, the President and Congress have equal power.
