U.S Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship in historic ruling

The U.S Supreme Court has ruled to uphold birthright citizenship. In what will be seen as a mega loss for U.S President Donald Trump, the U.S Supreme court declared birthright citizenship as the right to have rights!

President Trump had signed an executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship just hours after his return to the White House in January 2025.

The court’s Justices voted 6-3 in favour of birthright citizenship.

In the ruling, U.S Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote for the majority, ruled that the language of the amendment which was passed shortly after the end of U.S civil war is clear that all persons born or naturalised in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.

“The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land.’ We keep that promise today,” Chief Justice Roberts ruled.

Chief Justice Roberts wrote the opinion that included both conservatives and liberals. Three conservative justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissented from the majority decision.

Justice Thomas ruled that ut was wrong for the court to reject President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. He claimed that his colleagues’ decision devalued U.S citizenship as it was understood by the framers of the 14th Amendment.

“I am not sure that today’s opinion will stand the test of time,” said Justice Thomas.

“The Citizenship Clause ‘added greatly to the dignity and glory of American citizenship.’ Today’s opinion devalues that citizenship. I respectfully dissent,” he said.

In a related report, the BBC reported Justice Thomas, who is black, as arguing that the 14th Amendment was now being  repurposed for political projects’ that go beyond its ‘sad history’ of securing equal rights for freed slaves.

Read More: Kenyans flee South Africa to escape xenophobic attacks

He claimed that freed slaves were entitled to U.S citizenship because they were Americans with no other homeland or allegiance to another foreign power.

More to follow…