US President Donald Trump on Friday hailed a landmark Supreme Court decision that limits the authority of lower courts to issue nationwide injunctions, calling it a “monumental victory” for the Constitution and executive power. The ruling enables parts of Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship to take effect, at least temporarily, in several states.
The Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. CASA curbs the ability of lower-court judges to block federal policies across the entire country, narrowing such rulings to only apply to specific plaintiffs with legal standing. President Trump praised the ruling during a White House press briefing alongside Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“This morning, the Supreme Court has delivered a monumental victory for the Constitution, the separation of powers, and the rule of law,” Trump stated. “Radical-left judges tried to block the policies Americans voted for in record numbers. Now we can finally move forward.”
Trump specifically thanked the court’s conservative justices, including Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who authored the majority opinion. He noted that the ruling clears the way for his administration to resume action on multiple stalled policies, including:
- Ending birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants,
- Suspending federal funding for sanctuary cities,
- Halting refugee resettlement programs,
- Freezing certain types of government spending,
- And stopping federal funding for transgender surgeries.
Under the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, birthright citizenship guarantees that anyone born on US soil is automatically an American citizen. Trump’s order seeks to reinterpret that clause, arguing it does not apply to children of undocumented immigrants.
For now, the Court has allowed the order to be blocked only in the 22 Democrat-led states and among the specific plaintiffs involved in ongoing legal challenges. The justices ordered lower courts to revise their existing injunctions to align with the new limits, according to The Hill.
Despite the ruling, legal groups and immigration advocates are already strategizing ways to restore broad protections. Within hours, three federal judges in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington state issued temporary orders halting implementation in response to new lawsuits. Plaintiffs are now attempting to secure similar nationwide relief by filing class action lawsuits—a legal path left open by the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also filed a new lawsuit Friday aiming to block the executive order entirely, potentially bringing the issue back before the Supreme Court.
While the Trump administration can begin preparing guidance for the new citizenship policy, it must wait 30 days before attempting to enforce it, The Hill reported.
The Trump v. CASA decision concludes one of the most closely watched cases of the Supreme Court’s term, which has now adjourned until October 6.
