The Supreme Court Just Ruled That Individual Judges Can’t Block Laws Nationwide

But President Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship remains paused — and legal battles continue in lower courts.

The interior of the Supreme Court of the United States. Photo by Jackie Hope on Unsplash

The Supreme Court ruled Friday that individual judges can no longer issue nationwide injunctions, a significant win for President Trump’s agenda. But the ruling stopped short of greenlighting Trump’s executive order that would deny citizenship to U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants. (Source: Associated Press)

Writing for a six justice majority, Justice Amy Coney Barrett said lower courts must now narrow their orders to apply only to the parties in a given case. Still, enforcement of Trump’s policy remains on hold for 30 days.

Trump hailed the decision as a “monumental victory for the Constitution.”

But in a three justice dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned it opens the door for unconstitutional policies to be enforced while still under legal challenge.

The legal fight over birthright citizenship—enshrined in the 14th Amendment—now returns to lower courts. Rights groups and states are preparing to argue for nationwide protections through class actions or by proving state-level harm.

In today’s Pro Brief:

The legal path forward is murky—and the stakes are historic. Inside: how states and civil rights groups plan to keep birthright citizenship protected, how Justice Kavanaugh’s opinion could shape nationwide protections, and the century-old case that still governs who’s entitled to be an American.

Upgrade now to read the full legal breakdown and implications.