The decision boiled down to a 6-3 Vote to uphold the 14^th Amendment. Chief Justice Roberts delivered the majority opinion stating, “Citizenship then and now, was the right to have rights – to freely participate in our political community.”

The 14^th Amendment guarantees those born on US soil citizenship by stating, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” This amendment was passed after the civil war to help guarantee those rights to former slaves and their children.

The three who voted in favor of Trumps executive order from early last year were Justices Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch. Justice Thomas wrote, “Blacks were entitled to citizenship because they were Americans. They had no other homeland, owed no allegiance to any foreign power, and were subject to no other authority. The same could not be said for the children of foreign temporary visitors.” Ignoring that birthright citizenship is a better way to guarantee economic assimilation and avoids the creation of “stateless” individuals which also guarantees them legal human rights and the ability to participate in our democracy, according to Emily Burns of CampaignLegal.org.

President Trump wrote on truth social that the ruling was “too bad for our country” and is encouraging congress to legislate an end to the constitutional amendment.

Photo credits: Fine Photographs