Supreme Court Expands Presidential Power but Upholds Birthright Citizenship

The Supreme Court of the United States concluded its 2025-26 term with a series of landmark rulings that significantly expanded executive authority while upholding core constitutional protections. In Trump v. Slaughter, the Court overruled 90 years of precedent in a 6-3 decision, ruling that the president may fire officials at independent federal agencies at will. Donald Trump hailed the move as the "Greatest Increase in Presidential Power in the last 100 years," though the Court maintained a specific exception protecting the independence of the Federal Reserve Board in Trump v. Cook.

Despite the expansion of removal powers, the Court dealt several blows to the administration's immigration and economic agendas. In Trump v. Barbara, the Court ruled that an executive order ending birthright citizenship for children of noncitizens violated the 14th Amendment. The Court also struck down the president's worldwide tariff scheme under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Other consequential rulings included upholding the administration's termination of Temporary Protected Status for approximately 336,000 Haitians and Syrians and validating state bans on transgender girls in school sports. The Court also found Louisiana's 2022 congressional map to be an unconstitutional racial gerrymander and overturned restrictions on coordination between political parties and individual campaigns.

In response to the birthright citizenship loss, Donald Trump urged Congress to legislate an end to the practice and pass the SAVE America Act to establish nationwide voter ID requirements. He subsequently canceled a signing ceremony for a landmark housing package, vowing not to sign legislation until the SAVE America Act reaches his desk.