Birthright Citizenship: Can Donald Trump Amend US Constitution And How Easy Is It?

Published 30 June 2026 · us

Birthright Citizenship: Can Donald Trump Amend US Constitution And How Easy Is It? Published By, Last Updated: June 30, 2026, 22:20 IST While Trump has

Birthright Citizenship: Can Donald Trump Amend US Constitution And How Easy Is It? Published By, Last Updated: June 30, 2026, 22:20 IST While Trump has consistently argued against birthright citizenship, changing the Constitution is one of the most difficult processes in the US government. Rapid Read The Constitution was deliberately designed to be difficult to amend, ensuring that fundamental changes enjoy broad national consensus rather than reflecting temporary political majorities. US President Donald Trump suffered a major legal setback on Tuesday after the US Supreme Court rejected his bid to restrict birthright citizenship, dealing a blow to one of his signature immigration policies. In a 6-3 ruling delivered on the final day of its current term, the Supreme Court held that children born in the United States to parents who are in the country illegally or on temporary visas are entitled to US citizenship under the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment. The decision effectively blocks Trump’s executive order, signed on the first day of his second term, which sought to end automatic citizenship for those children. What Did Supreme Court Say? Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said the Constitution’s language is clear. “Children born in the United States to parents unlawfully or temporarily present are ‘subject to the jurisdiction’ of the United States and are citizens at birth under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause," Roberts wrote.

The opinion was joined by two other conservative justices and the court’s three liberal justices. The ruling reaffirmed the long-standing interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which has guaranteed birthright citizenship to nearly everyone born on US soil for more than 150 years. In an unprecedented move for a sitting US president, Trump had personally attended oral arguments in the case at the Supreme Court in April, underscoring the importance of the issue to his administration. Justice Samuel Alito’s Dissent Conservative Justice Samuel Alito, joined by other dissenting justices, sharply criticised the majority’s decision. Calling the ruling “a serious mistake", Alito argued that the Constitution does not require the broad interpretation of birthright citizenship adopted by the court. “If the Fourteenth Amendment required these results, the country would have to live with them or amend the Constitution," Alito wrote. “But the Fourteenth Amendment does not include the rule the Court now imposes on the country. In my judgment, the Court has made a mistake that will seriously affect the country’s future." Can Trump Amend US Constitution? While Trump has consistently argued against birthright citizenship, changing the Constitution is one of the most difficult processes in the US government. Article V of the US Constitution sets out a two-stage process involving proposal and ratification, both requiring overwhelming political support.