Washington, 14 March (H.S.): The Trump administration has made significant moves by filing emergency appeals with the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking partial implementation of its birthright citizenship restrictions amid ongoing legal disputes. The administration argues that lower courts have overstepped their authority by issuing rulings that block the policy. Earlier this year, a federal judge deemed the executive order blatantly unconstitutional, with another judge asserting it contradicts over 250 years of citizenship by birth history. Appeals courts have previously dismissed the administration’s requests to halt lower court rulings that established nationwide injunctions against the order enacted on January 20.
Courts in states like Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington have also prevented the order’s enforcement, responding to demands from over 20 states and various plaintiffs. The Supreme Court appeals do not contest the policy’s constitutionality directly but do request limited adjustments to the injunctions, potentially allowing the administration to proceed with its order against individuals not involved in the litigation.
In emergency appeals filed with the Supreme Court, the US Justice Department noted that universal injunctions have reached epidemic proportions since the start of the current administration. These injunctions block the enforcement of a Day 1 Executive Order nationwide, affecting hundreds of thousands of unspecified individuals not identified by the court.
The Trump administration requested permission to issue guidance on the implementation of the policy. The government argued that a past incorrect position regarding citizenship clauses granted birthright citizenship to nearly all US-born individuals, including those of undocumented immigrants. This approach, they contended, encouraged illegal immigration. The Supreme Court is expected to establish a brief response timeline for those opposing the administration’s position.
Following his inauguration, President Trump signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship, aiming to change regulations that prevent citizenship for children of undocumented migrants or those with temporary visas. This policy will apply to children born on or after February 19 and will not be retroactive.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
