How the Supreme Court became a pivotal force in Trump's immigration agenda

By — Rebecca Santana, Associated Press Rebecca Santana, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-the-supreme-court-became-a-pivotal-force-in-trumps-immigration-agenda Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter How the Supreme Court became a pivotal force in Trump's immigration agenda Politics Jul 1, 2026 10:46 AM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration looked to the Supreme Court to greenlight its sweeping hard-line immigration agenda and, by and large, it got the backing it was looking for with one key exception — birthright citizenship . After lower courts repeatedly ruled against the Trump administration, the nation's top court allowed it to terminate temporary protections for people fleeing war or strife. It gave immigration officers greater leeway in dealing with green card holders returning from abroad, and it allowed the government to limit the number of people who can apply for asylum. WATCH: Examining the Supreme Court's birthright citizenship, campaign finance rulings In being asked to serve as an enabler of the Republican president's contentious immigration crackdown, the Supreme Court showed deference to constitutional guardrails in the key case of birthright citizenship that would have redefined who can be an American. In ruling against the administration, the court upheld the idea that people who are born in the United States, regardless of their parents' immigration status, are Americans. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Each decision could have far-reaching consequences for foreigners seeking to live in the country and could help shape public perceptions over whether America remains a beacon for migrants. Birthright citizenship is upheld, prompting calls for more restrictions The Trump administration had sought to prevent children born to people who are in the United States illegally or temporarily from being entitled to American citizenship at birth. READ MORE: How the birthright citizenship decision impacts Trump's immigration agenda A divided Supreme Court upheld the concept of birthright citizenship, with a bare majority of five justices saying that with very limited exceptions the long-settled understanding of the 14th Amendment, adopted after the Civil War, grants citizenship to anyone born in the U.S. It was a blow to Trump's immigration agenda, a centerpiece of his second administration. The president signed the order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship on his first day in office, although it never went into effect due to legal challenges. The court's decision was praised by advocates but led to calls by some Republicans to try to restrict birthright citizenship by other means. Mark Krikorian, who heads the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for less immigration, said the decision makes the president's push