The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday reaffirmed the immediate citizenship status of most individuals born on U.S. soil, a right established in the 14th Amendment.
The ruling is a blow to President Donald Trump, who had tried to end that practice—the status quo for more than a century—by executive order. Trump and other supportive Republicans argued that the amendment’s writers intended only to create a legal framework for the citizenship of children born to enslaved people, not children born to foreign citizens temporarily or unlawfully on U.S. soil.
Alabama’s Republican leaders joined critical reactions from Republicans nationwide Tuesday.
“Today’s decision from six out-of-touch Supreme Court justices on birthright citizenship will cause chaos in our country for years to come,” Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, the Republican nominee for governor, wrote. “Ever since the Communist Left’s meltdown over Roe v. Wade, some of our Justices have been scared of their own shadows. They should remember that their job is to go by our Constitution and to stand up for AMERICANS, not bow to the woke mob.”
Senator Katie Britt, R-Alabama, also disagreed with the ruling and called on Congress to act after the Supreme Court’s decision.
“The majority of the globe does not recognize this form of citizenship that has been grossly exploited to the detriment of our country,” Britt wrote in a statement.
Representative Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, one of Alabama’s few Democratic leaders at the national level, supported the ruling.
“If you are born in the United States, you are an American citizen. Donald Trump tried to undermine that constitutional guarantee, but even his right-wing Supreme Court made clear that the 14th Amendment is not up for debate,” Sewell said in a statement.
For Alabama resident Celsa Stallworth, a U.S. citizen by birth alone, the decision is both a relief and a frightening indicator of how far the push to end birthright citizenship has gone.
“As the daughter of immigrants and someone who works closely with immigrant families across Alabama, this decision brings a sense of relief, but it also reminds me how fragile our rights can feel,” Stallworth told APR. “Birthright citizenship is more than a legal principle. It represents belonging, dignity, and the promise that every child born here deserves to be recognized as part of this country.
“At the same time, it’s sobering to know how close we came to seeing that principle challenged. Many families have spent months living with uncertainty and fear. While this decision reaffirms an important constitutional protection, it also reminds us that we cannot take our rights for granted. We have to continue educating, organizing, and standing with our communities so every family feels seen, protected, and valued.”
