President Donald Trump is pushing for changes to birthright citizenship that would affect a large portion of the U.S. population. According to 2024 data from the U.S. Census, more than 25 million foreign-born U.S. residents were naturalized citizens.
Since 1868, birthright citizenship has made anyone born in the United States a citizen – whether the child of citizens, foreign nationals living legally in the United States, or unauthorized immigrants. Now the U.S. Supreme Court will decide the issue.
In a May 10 post on Truth Social, Trump predicted the justices would strike down his effort to limit who qualifies for automatic U.S. citizenship: "They will be ruling against us on Birthright Citizenship, making us the only Country in the World that practices this unsustainable, unsafe, and incredibly costly DISASTER," he wrote.
In January the Supreme Court ruled against Trump’s tariffs and this summer will reveal if Trump's prediction is correct. Trump, who signed the order shortly after taking office in January 2025, attended the Trump v. Barbara hearing on April 1, the first time a sitting president has been present for oral arguments.
April's hearing was the second time the Supreme Court has considered Trump's citizenship order. On June 27, 2025, the justices voted 6-3 to partially stay temporary restraints by district courts that blocked Trump's order from taking effect. The court said the district courts had likely exceeded their authority.
