Trump: Supreme Court upholding birthright citizenship would be ‘disgrace’

President Donald Trump said Thursday that a Supreme Court decision upholding birthright citizenship would be “a disgrace.” Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump stated: “Now we have another one coming up. Birthright citizenship. It would be a disgrace … It would be a disgrace if the Supreme Court of the United States allows that to happen.”

Arguments and executive order

Trump argued that a significant number of migrants entering the US could eventually obtain citizenship through birthright provisions. “Remember what I said, 20 to 25% of the people coming into our country will come in through birthright citizenship. They’ll become citizens through birthright citizenship,” he said. The president signed an executive order on January 20, the first day of his second term, seeking to restrict birthright citizenship. The move is part of his administration’s broader crackdown on illegal immigration and a challenge to longstanding constitutional interpretation.

Legal and constitutional stakes

Birthright citizenship is the first Trump immigration‑related policy to reach the Supreme Court for a final ruling. If upheld, Trump’s order could overturn more than 125 years of broad birthright citizenship protections under the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. The case is being closely watched internationally, where citizenship laws are based primarily on descent (jus sanguinis) rather than birthplace (jus soli). Turkish officials have previously expressed interest in US legal debates on immigration and citizenship.