Trump says birthright citizenship 'must be abolished' ahead of Supreme Court ruling

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether the administration can use executive action to reinterpret citizenship rules
President Donald Trump said birthright citizenship was unsustainable and should end, increasing pressure ahead of a Supreme Court ruling (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump said birthright citizenship was unsustainable and should end, increasing pressure ahead of a Supreme Court ruling (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump, on Thursday, June 11, renewed his push to end birthright citizenship, arguing that the United States can no longer sustain a policy that automatically grants citizenship to nearly everyone born on American soil.

His latest remarks came as the Supreme Court prepares to issue a highly anticipated ruling that could determine the fate of one of the administration’s most aggressive immigration initiatives and reshape a decades-long constitutional debate.



Trump doubles down before ruling

In a Truth Social post, Trump framed birthright citizenship as a burden the country can no longer afford.

“The United States of America cannot live with the shackles of Birthright Citizenship,” the president wrote, adding that the policy is neither economically sustainable nor consistent with practices followed by other major nations.

The statement arrives just weeks before the Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on legal challenges surrounding Trump's executive order aimed at restricting automatic citizenship for children born in the US to certain non-citizen parents.

U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions during a press conference on recent Supreme Court rulings in the briefing room at the White House on June 27, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that individual judges cannot grant nationwide injunctions to block executive orders, including the injunction on President Trump’s effort to eliminate birthright citizenship in the U.S. The justices did not rule on Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship but stopped his order from taking effect for 30 days. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump answers questions during a press conference on recent Supreme Court rulings in the briefing room at the White House on June 27, 2025, in Washington, DC (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

While the administration has defended the order as a necessary immigration reform measure, critics argue it directly conflicts with long-standing constitutional precedent.

The dispute centers on the interpretation of the 14th Amendment, adopted after the Civil War.

For more than a century, it has generally been understood to guarantee citizenship to nearly anyone born in the United States.

Trump, however, has repeatedly argued that the amendment is being applied far beyond its original intent and has claimed the current system encourages abuse of immigration laws.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 03: A view of the U.S. Supreme Court Building on May 03, 2022 in Washington, DC
A general view of the Supreme Court in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

Since signing his executive order earlier in his presidency, the administration has faced a series of courtroom setbacks.

Multiple federal courts have blocked implementation of the policy, forcing the issue onto a fast track toward the nation’s highest court.

The Supreme Court is now expected to decide whether the administration has the authority to reinterpret citizenship rules through executive action.

Immigrants prepare to become American citizens at a naturalization service on January 22, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey. Although much of the federal government was shut down Monday morning, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), offices remained open nationwide. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
Immigrants prepare to become American citizens at a naturalization service on January 22, 2018, in Newark, New Jersey (John Moore/Getty Images)

President's previous take on ruling

Notably, Trump had previously suggested that he was not optimistic about the outcome.

In earlier remarks, he predicted the Court could rule against his administration and leave the current system intact.

At the time, he argued that the United States was effectively alone in maintaining such an interpretation of birthright citizenship and warned that the policy creates long-term economic and security challenges.



His latest statement signals that the White House is continuing to make the issue a major political priority even before the justices deliver their final decision.

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