Federal Appeals Court Blocks Trump’s Move to End Birthright Citizenship, Setting Up Supreme Court Showdown

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Bente Birkeland
February 20, 2025
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6 minutes read

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/FILE

A federal appeals court has halted President Donald Trump’s controversial attempt to end birthright citizenship, setting the stage for a potential Supreme Court battle. In a ruling handed down late Wednesday, the San Francisco-based Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Justice Department’s request to lift a Seattle judge’s nationwide injunction blocking Trump’s executive order, which sought to override the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, CNN reported.

The decision marks a significant legal setback for Trump’s political agenda and signals the court’s refusal to immediately allow the executive action to take effect. This is the first time an appeals court has weighed in on Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship, Reuters noted. The ruling is expected to intensify legal and political debates over the interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to all individuals born in the United States.

The appellate panel consisted of one judge appointed by Trump, another by Jimmy Carter and a third by George W. Bush. The court stated that the case would now move forward with a more detailed judicial review, CNN reported.

President-elect Donald Trump takes the stage before he speaks at the FOX Nation Patriot Awards on Dec. 5 in Greenvale, N.Y. (Heather Khalifa/AP)

The case is likely to proceed to the Supreme Court, where a final ruling could shape the future of birthright citizenship in the United States. Legal experts anticipate a heated judicial battle over the interpretation of constitutional rights regarding citizenship.

As legal proceedings continue, the ruling remains a pivotal moment in the broader debate over immigration policy and executive authority. The Trump administration has vowed to challenge the decision, keeping the issue at the forefront of national political discourse.