US President Trump became the first sitting president to attend oral arguments at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
His administration has championed an executive order to end automatic birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to parents living temporarily or illegally in the United States.
Trump arrives at court at 10:00 a.m. However, he remained inside his motorcade for about an hour before leaving while Solicitor General D. John Sauer finished his opening argument.
The case is called Barbara v. Trump and concerns an executive order issued on the first day of Trump’s second term.
The ordinance has already been ruled unconstitutional by several lower courts, effectively ending its implementation.
The principle of birthright citizenship is well established as it was codified in the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was ratified in 1868 and states that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens.”
Several justices expressed skepticism about the administration’s position during the arguments.
Repeated questions have been raised by Chief Justice John Roberts about how the administration can expand limited historical exceptions, such as children of foreign diplomats, to include the children of undocumented immigrants.
Additionally, Justice Elena Kagan noted that the text of the 14th Amendment does not support the arguments made by the administration.
Judge Amy Coney Barrett also asked Sauer questions about how the administration’s policy aligned with the original intent of granting citizenship through this amendment to formerly enslaved individuals.
The Supreme Court is expected to make a final decision at the end of June or early July, at the end of its term.
