The U.S. Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship — preserving a constitutional guarantee that has defined what it means to be an American for more than 150 years — while also upholding state laws that prohibit transgender students from participating on girls’ and women’s school sports teams.
The 5-4 ruling in Trump v. Barbara struck down the president’s executive order seeking to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the United States to undocumented parents, reaffirming protections rooted in the 14th Amendment.
In a separate 6-3 decision, the court ruled that Idaho and West Virginia may enforce laws barring transgender athletes from competing on girls’ and women’s teams, concluding the bans do not violate Title IX or the Equal Protection Clause.
“The court’s decision reaffirms a fundamental American promise — if you are born here, you are a citizen,” ACLU National Legal Director Cecillia Wang said. “A president cannot change the Constitution by executive fiat. Our brave clients and our legal team stand with millions of people around our country who spoke up for one of our most cherished rights. The Constitution’s guarantee of birthright citizenship stands strong.”
The birthright citizenship case rested on constitutional protections established after the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment was adopted in the aftermath of the conflict to ensure that formerly enslaved Black Americans could not be denied citizenship. Over the decades, the amendment also became the constitutional foundation protecting the citizenship of virtually everyone born on U.S. soil.
Black Futures Lab Executive Director Kristin Powell said the ruling protects that legacy.
“Birthright citizenship is a safeguard against exclusion, rooted in the legacy of formerly enslaved Black people who fought to ensure that citizenship could not be denied based on race, origin, or status,” Powell said. “Today’s decision preserves that legacy and pushes back against efforts to create a hierarchy of belonging in this country.”
The ruling also has importance in the nation’s capital, where immigration remains a significant part of the legal system. According to an analysis by Manifest Law using U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services data, the Washington field office had 7,780 pending family-based green card applications at the end of 2025, ranking 15th nationally. The report found that 80.8% of all green card approvals processed through the Washington office were family-based, underscoring the role family sponsorship plays for many District-area residents. While those cases involve lawful permanent residence rather than citizenship by birth, immigration advocates said the court’s decision provides clarity on one of the Constitution’s most enduring protections.
The chairs of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus said the ruling reaffirmed a principle established by the 14th Amendment and reinforced by the Supreme Court more than a century ago.
“Today’s decision affirms a fundamental constitutional principle that has defined our nation for generations: every child born in the United States is a citizen of the United States,” the three caucus leaders said in a joint statement.
Ban for Transgender Athletes Upheld, Advocates Call It ‘A Heartbreaking Ruling’
The court’s second major decision of the day centered on whether states may prohibit transgender girls and women from participating on female athletic teams in schools and colleges.
The ruling allows Idaho and West Virginia to continue enforcing their laws after the justices concluded the measures do not violate federal anti-discrimination law or constitutional equal protection guarantees.
“This is a heartbreaking ruling for our clients and transgender girls like them who’ve asked for nothing more than the same opportunities afforded to their peers,” Joshua Block, senior counsel with the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project. “The reality is that the equality of transgender women and girls takes nothing away from, and in fact promotes, the equality of all women and girls. We will continue to advance the fundamental principle that all young people deserve equal opportunity to thrive and succeed.”
According to the organizations challenging the laws, 27 states have enacted bans on transgender students participating in school sports since 2020. The legal challenge argued the restrictions violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, while the West Virginia case also asserted the law conflicted with Title IX, the federal statute prohibiting sex discrimination in education.
Lambda Legal said the ruling would have consequences beyond athletics.
“This ruling is deeply harmful for transgender women and girls who only asked for the ability to participate in sports with their peers,” Sasha Buchert, senior attorney and director of Lambda Legal’s Non-Binary and Transgender Rights Project, said. “Countless studies have demonstrated the myriad benefits that come with participation in team sports. Now, one population, transgender youth and collegians, are targeted for specific and baseless discrimination. We will not be deterred and will continue to fight back to secure the equal participation that all youth, including transgender youth, deserve.”
