SCOTUS Pouncing on the Constitution
Reinforcing Trump's Chaos
Anyone taking an intro to law class will distinctly remember landmark civil rights cases and the profound impact they’ve had on our American society and the evolving interpretation of constitutional principles—especially under the Fourteenth Amendment.
In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) on Friday, June 27, allowed an executive order to take effect that challenges the long-standing understanding of birthright citizenship, signaling a narrower interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The first sentence of the Fourteenth Amendment reads: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, ET AL. v. CASA, IN., ET AL
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a884_new_5426.pdf
There is something that is very troubling here. When rights vary from state to state instead of being grounded in equal protection, rights will depend on where you live. When basic rights are determined by your zip code rather than equality, the nation further splinters into conflicting standards. Instead of unity under one U.S. Constitution, we face confusion and a patchwork of values defined by state lines.
That inconsistency only fuels the widening divide in the USA that is already struggling with unity.
If the Court allows states to reinterpret constitutional protections, it could embolden efforts to roll back other civil rights—like access to healthcare, voting rights, or protections for marginalized communities—under the guise of “state sovereignty.”
Here is something I found worth your time:
What the Supreme Court did was far more dangerous than ending birthright citizenship | Opinion
Opinion by Sabrina Haake, Raw Story https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/what-the-supreme-court-did-was-far-more-dangerous-than-ending-birthright-citizenship-opinion/ar-AA1HG8mZ?ocid=socialshare
Back in May, an analysis by CNN described the Trump administration’s actions as the “biggest rollback of civil rights since Reconstruction,” highlighting efforts to dismantle diversity programs, weaken federal civil rights enforcement, and shift power back to states under the banner of “anti-woke” governance. Read mor about that at: https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/02/politics/trump-civil-rights-rollback-what-matters
While today’s ruling didn’t decide the constitutional question, it has opened the door to states applying different standards for who qualifies as a citizen.
The original intent of the Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, was to secure full citizenship and equal legal protection for formerly enslaved people after the Civil War. It was a cornerstone of the Reconstruction era’s effort to rebuild the United States on a foundation of racial equality and civil rights.
At its core, the 14th Amendment was intended to:
· Guarantee birthright citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., regardless of race or ancestry.
· Prevent states from infringing on individual rights without due process of law.
· Ensure equal protection under the law for all people, not just citizens.
The Fourteenth Amendment Explained
https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-14/
The Fourteenth Amendment has been at the heart of many pivotal Supreme Court decisions that shaped civil rights and liberties in the U.S. Here are some of the most influential:
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) – Upheld racial segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine. (Though later overturned, it was a defining interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment for decades.)
Brown v. Board of Education (1954) – Declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson and establishing that “separate but equal” is inherently unequal.
Loving v. Virginia (1967) – Struck down laws banning interracial marriage, affirming that marriage is a fundamental right protected by the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses.
Roe v. Wade (1973) – Though later overturned, it originally held that the right to privacy under the Due Process Clause extended to a woman’s decision to have an abortion.
United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898) – Affirmed that children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents are citizens under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause.
Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) – Legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, ruling that the right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples under the Fourteenth Amendment.
Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023) – Ended affirmative action in college admissions, holding that race-conscious admissions policies violated the Equal Protection Clause.
THE HILL
5 takeaways from the Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship ruling
The Supreme Court handed President Trump a clear victory Friday, stopping judges from issuing nationwide injunctions that block his executive order narrowing birthright citizenship.But the cases aren’t over yet, as a new phase of the battle commences in the lower courts.
https://thehill.com/homenews/5373990-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-takeaways/
NY Times
What the Supreme Court’s Ruling Will Mean for Birthright Citizenship
The ruling left unsettled the question of whether children born to immigrants without full legal status in the United States are entitled to automatic citizenship. So what happens now?