WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — In a major decision Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court restricted the power of federal judges to issue nationwide injunctions. The ruling, split 6-3 along ideological lines, also allowed part of President Donald Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship to take effect in 30 days.
The decision is a big win for the Trump administration. It curbs the ability of lower federal courts to block presidential policies nationwide. That power has long been a key tool used to stop controversial executive actions by both Republican and Democratic presidents.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote the majority opinion. The ruling says individual federal judges can no longer freeze a president’s order for the entire country. Instead, the court said class-action lawsuits are the proper way to challenge federal policies on a broad scale.
This shift could reshape how federal courts handle disputes over presidential authority. It makes it harder to halt executive actions immediately across the nation.
The ruling could weaken checks on future executive orders, including actions on civil service protections, foreign aid, and transgender housing in federal prisons.
The justices did not rule on the legality of Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship. However, they allowed it to go partially into effect starting next month.
The order would stop granting U.S. citizenship to babies born on American soil to undocumented immigrants, visitors, and some temporary residents. The change would apply in the 28 states that have not filed legal challenges against it.
The practice of birthright citizenship has been part of U.S. law for over 150 years. It stems from the 14th Amendment, which says anyone born in the U.S. is a citizen. Trump signed the executive order on the first day of his second term.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a strong dissent. She called the ruling “a travesty for the rule of law.” She warned that limiting nationwide injunctions gives too much unchecked power to the White House.
Civil rights groups and immigration advocates echoed that concern. They say the decision could delay justice for people affected by illegal or harmful policies.
The Supreme Court did not decide whether Trump’s order on citizenship is constitutional. That issue is still being heard in lower courts. If the Trump administration loses in the appeals courts, it plans to bring the case back to the Supreme Court.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said during a news conference with Trump that the administration expects the high court to take up the issue in the upcoming term, which starts in October.
Until then, the legal status of birthright citizenship remains uncertain in many parts of the country.
In other rulings Friday, the court upheld a task force under the Affordable Care Act. The group recommends what preventive services insurers must cover. The justices also rejected a challenge to a Texas law that limits minors’ access to online pornography.
In a religious liberty case, the court ruled that Maryland public schools must allow parents to opt their children out of classes with LGBTQ+ storybooks, if they object for religious reasons.
The Supreme Court’s decision will have long-term effects on how presidential orders are challenged in court. By limiting nationwide injunctions, the court has made it harder for single judges to stop policies that affect the entire country.
At the same time, allowing Trump’s citizenship order to proceed in some states marks a temporary but dramatic shift in immigration law.
The full impact of the court’s ruling—and the fate of birthright citizenship—will likely become clear in the months ahead as legal challenges move forward.
