The Supreme Court has ruled that babies born in the United States have a constitutional right to citizenship, rejecting Donald Trump’s bid to end the 150-year-old policy.
In a 6-3 decision, Chief Justice John Roberts ruled that children born in the US “to parents unlawfully or temporarily present” are “citizens at birth” under the 14th amendment.
President Trump had sought to limit the right through an executive order, arguing that the children of undocumented immigrants and some temporary visitors were not “subject to the jurisdiction thereof”, and thus not eligible for birthright citizenship.
The ruling is a major setback for Trump’s immigration agenda, and has been welcomed by civil rights groups.