The Blubber

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that lower courts have limited authority to block presidential orders, a decision President Donald Trump celebrated as a "giant win."

The case focused on whether Trump could use an executive order to end birthright citizenship for non-citizens and undocumented immigrants. However, in a 6–3 decision, the Court’s conservative majority ruled not on the citizenship issue directly, but on the broader limits of judicial power over executive actions.

Legal experts say the ruling could reshape how executive orders are challenged in the future. Challenges to the decision are expected.

The case stemmed from lawsuits filed by immigrant rights groups and 22 states against an executive order Trump signed on his first day back in office. That order aimed to eliminate birthright citizenship, which grants automatic citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil.

Several federal judges in states like Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington temporarily blocked the order. The Justice Department appealed, arguing that such nationwide injunctions overstepped constitutional limits.

On Friday, the Supreme Court agreed with the Trump administration and placed restrictions on how federal courts can issue sweeping injunctions that apply across the country.

Speaking at an unscheduled press conference following the decision, Trump called it a “monumental victory for the Constitution, the separation of powers, and the rule of law.”

He criticized what he referred to as “radical left judges,” claiming they had tried to limit his presidential authority. Trump said nationwide injunctions posed a “grave threat to democracy.”

Since returning to office in January, Trump has relied heavily on executive actions to implement his agenda.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, also at the press event, said the ruling means judges will no longer be able to block Trump’s policies so easily. She added that she expects the Supreme Court to directly address the issue of birthright citizenship in its next term starting in October.

Although the Court’s decision allows judges to continue blocking presidential orders they find unconstitutional or illegal, it requires those challenges to move further along in the legal process. This effectively gives the president more time and leeway to carry out executive actions.

As a result of this ruling, Trump’s executive order targeting birthright citizenship will be able to take effect 30 days after the Court’s opinion was filed.