The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to restrict nationwide injunctions blocking the president’s plan to end automatic birthright citizenship. Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris filed emergency applications requesting that the court narrow the injunctions to individuals or groups who directly sued over the plan, potentially excluding residents of states that challenged it. The administration is not seeking a decision on the plan’s merits, but to allow agencies to develop a policy for implementation in the future. Legal experts believe the proposal is unlikely to be successful due to the clear language of the 14th Amendment granting citizenship to anyone born in the U.S. The Supreme Court would need at least five votes to grant the administration’s request. Trump’s lawyers argue that birthright citizenship should be limited to those with at least one U.S. citizen or permanent resident parent. The administration’s filings stem from three cases where federal judges ruled the policy unconstitutional and issued nationwide injunctions. Harris argues that these injunctions compromise the executive branch’s ability to function and that the states lack standing to sue on behalf of their residents. The court has yet to effectively address the issue of nationwide injunctions, despite criticisms from presidents and some justices.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image of the presented article.
