The Digester
politics

Trump is first US president to attend Supreme Court hearing on birthright citizenship

Donald Trump attended Supreme Court oral arguments over his executive order to end automatic citizenship for some children born in the United States, a case that will hinge on the 14th Amendment and could reshape who is a U.S. citizen.

Apr 1st 2026 ยท United States

Insights

  • President Donald Trump attended oral arguments at the Supreme Court in a case on birthright citizenship, the first sitting president to do so.
  • The case challenges an executive order by Trump that seeks to end automatic citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants and temporary visitors.
  • Trump signed the order on his first day of his current term but it was blocked and never took effect in lower courts.
  • Justices will focus on the phrase "subject to the jurisdiction" in the 14th Amendment to determine the scope of birthright citizenship.
  • The Supreme Court now has a 6 to 3 conservative majority and has issued mixed rulings in cases involving Trump, including rejecting his tariffs last February.
  • The 14th Amendment was adopted after the Dred Scott decision and courts have long interpreted birthright citizenship broadly, excluding only narrow categories such as children of foreign diplomats.

Sources