US President Trump became the first sitting president to attend oral arguments at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
His administration defended an executive order to end automatic birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to parents who live in the United States temporarily or illegally
Trump arrives in court at 10:00. But he remained inside his motorcade for about an hour before leaving as Solicitor General D. John Sauer finished his opening argument.
The case is called Barbara v. Trump and involves an executive order issued on the first day of Trump’s second term.
The order has already been deemed unconstitutional by several lower courts, effectively halting its implementation.
The principle of birthright citizenship is well established and has been codified in the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, which was ratified in 1868 and declares that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens.”
Several judges expressed skepticism about the administration’s position during deliberations.
Repeated questions were raised by Chief Justice John Roberts about how the administration can expand limited historical exemptions, like children of foreign diplomats, to children of undocumented immigrants.
Furthermore, Justice Elena Kagan noted that the text of the 14th Amendment does not support the arguments presented by the administration.
Judge Amy Coney Barrett also asked Sauer questions related to how the administration’s policy was consistent with the original intent of granting citizenship through this amendment to formerly enslaved people.
The Supreme Court must make a final decision in late June or early July, at the end of its term.
