Donald Trump is turning up the pressure on the Supreme Court ahead of a major ruling that could redefine who automatically becomes an American citizen.
During a Thursday press conference, Trump blasted birthright citizenship as “a disgrace” while defending his executive order aimed at ending automatic citizenship for children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants or parents on temporary visas. The issue is now at the center of a high-stakes Supreme Court case that could test the limits of the 14th Amendment.
According to Mediaite, Trump argued that the current interpretation of birthright citizenship was never intended for modern immigration patterns. Fox News also aired the remarks during the president’s press conference.
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Why Trump Is Fighting Birthright Citizenship
“And we’re the only country in the world that has it,” Trump said. “You step into our country, and you’re all of a sudden a citizen.”
He continued by claiming the policy was originally designed to protect formerly enslaved people after the Civil War, not wealthy foreigners or undocumented migrants.
“This was meant for the babies of slaves,” Trump said. “This was signed during right after the Civil War.”
Trump also warned that continuing the policy would create what he described as an economic burden on the country.
“It would be a disgrace if the Supreme Court of the United States allows that to happen,” he said.
What Birthright Citizenship Actually Means
Birthright citizenship comes from the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868. The amendment states that anyone born in the United States and “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” is automatically a U.S. citizen.
The interpretation was reinforced by the 1898 Supreme Court case United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which established that children born in the U.S. are citizens regardless of their parents’ immigration status, with limited exceptions tied to diplomats or hostile foreign forces.
Legal scholars opposing Trump’s executive order argue that presidents cannot rewrite constitutional protections through executive action alone. Supporters of Trump’s position argue the amendment has been interpreted too broadly for decades and should be narrowed.
Why This Supreme Court Case Matters
The Supreme Court’s decision could become one of the most consequential immigration rulings in generations.
If the court sides with Trump, it could fundamentally alter how citizenship is granted in the United States and immediately impact future immigration policy debates. If the court rules against him, Trump has already made clear he will see it as another major defeat from a court he says has repeatedly ruled against his administration.
“This decision by the Supreme Court is a very big one,” Trump said.
Trump: Birthright citizenship is a disgrace. pic.twitter.com/nxym4gQDgC
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 21, 2026
