You may have heard that there was a recent Supreme Court ruling on a case regarding birthright citizenship. Here’s what it means.
Quick background
Many lawsuits were filed against Trump after he issued an executive order calling to take away the right to birthright citizenship. The lawsuits argued that this order is unconstitutional. District courts blocked Trump’s administration from implementing the order. The case ended up before the Supreme Court.
What the court ruled
On June 27, 2025, the US Supreme Court decided in Trump v. CASA that lower federal courts cannot automatically block nationwide enforcement of policies such as President Trump’s executive order to limit birthright citizenship, unless those injunctions are tailored to the specific parties in a lawsuit
The court did not rule on whether the policy is constitutional; it only addressed the scope of injunctions by lower courts.
What this means for now
The executive order remains temporarily delayed. A nationwide injunction no longer blocks its enforcement everywhere, but lower courts have 30 days to decide how the injunctions should apply. This may lead to inconsistent enforcement in different states, depending on where legal challenges are ongoing.
No child born today or in the near future is being stripped of their citizenship by this decision. The Supreme Court did not rule on whether the Executive Order is constitutional. There are existing protections in place.
What you need to know right now
Birthright citizenship is still legally secure under the 14th Amendment and no immediate changes have taken effect. States and various advocacy groups are mobilizing through lawsuits, including class actions to safeguard citizenship rights locally and nationally.
What to expect in the coming weeks
Over the coming weeks, lower courts will determine how broadly or narrowly to enforce injunctions. This will impact which states are protected. Activists and lawyers are preparing new legal actions to preserve universal citizenship protections.
In summary
Nothing has changed yet. Birthright citizenship remains protected. The Supreme Court’s ruling focused on procedural limits for nationwide blocks and did not decide on actual citizenship law. Multiple legal efforts are already underway to defend universal citizenship rights. We will keep you informed, especially if these changes begin to affect birth certificates, benefits, or services in Washington State.