US Supreme Court blocks Trump's birthright citizenship plan

The US Supreme Court has blocked President Donald Trump's executive order that sought to end birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants. The ruling represents a major legal setback for Trump's immigration policy and reaffirms a long-standing interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to nearly all people born on US soil.

The decision came as a surprise to some observers, given the conservative majority on the court. However, the justices ruled that the president's order violated the Constitution, which has been understood to guarantee birthright citizenship since the 19th century. The court's opinion did not leave room for executive action on this matter, effectively shutting down one of Trump's key campaign promises.

Legal experts noted that the ruling underscores the strength of the separation of powers in the United States. Even with a Republican-appointed majority, the court upheld the constitutional principle over the president's policy goals. The decision was welcomed by immigrant rights groups, who argued that ending birthright citizenship would have created a class of stateless children and undermined a core American value.

The White House has not yet announced whether it will pursue a legislative route to change the law, but any such effort would require a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress and ratification by three-quarters of the states, making it highly unlikely in the current political climate.