US Supreme Court Upholds Birthright Citizenship

The US Supreme Court has blocked President Donald Trump's executive order seeking to end the automatic granting of US citizenship to children born on US soil.

In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled that the measure violates the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees citizenship to nearly everyone born in the United States.

Trump signed the executive order immediately after returning to the White House as part of his broader immigration crackdown. The measure would have applied to children whose parents were in the country illegally or only temporarily. It never took effect after being blocked by lower federal courts.

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said birthright citizenship has been firmly established in the United States for more than 120 years. The court also relied on its landmark 1898 ruling affirming that interpretation of the Constitution.

Trump criticized the decision and urged Congress to pass legislation restricting birthright citizenship. However, a majority of the justices indicated that such a change would most likely require a constitutional amendment.

(cbsnews, lud)