Supreme Court Limits Nationwide Injunctions in Birthright Citizenship Case

In a 6-3 ruling in Trump v. CASA, Inc. issued on June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court of the United States held that federal district courts lack the authority under the Judiciary Act of 1789 to grant universal or nationwide injunctions against executive orders and agency actions. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for the majority, stated that such expansive relief exceeds the equitable authority granted to federal courts and was not part of historical practice during the Founding era.

The decision specifically lifts preliminary injunctions against Executive Order 14160, which seeks to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents, including those undocumented or on temporary visas. While the Court did not rule on the constitutionality of the order itself, the ruling allows the administration to enforce the policy starting July 27, 2025, for children born on or after February 19, 2025.

Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, arguing the decision creates an existential threat to the rule of law by stripping courts of the ability to safeguard constitutional rights for non-parties. New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin warned the ruling creates a patchwork effect where civil rights vary by state. In response, the majority noted that lower courts may still consider narrower injunctions if states prove specific administrative or financial harms, and some justices suggested class action lawsuits as a remaining path for broad relief.