Why US Supreme Court birthright citizenship ruling is a relief for Indians

Mangalore Today News Network

US, July 1, 2026: Thousands of Indian families living in the United States welcomed a major legal victory on Tuesday after the US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship.

In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled that Trump’s executive order violated the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, which guarantees citizenship to nearly everyone born on American soil and subject to US jurisdiction.

Trump’s order had sought to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the US if neither parent was an American citizen or a lawful permanent resident (green card holder). With the ruling, the Supreme Court affirmed that children born in the United States will continue to receive citizenship at birth.

Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, said the executive order contradicted the Constitution’s long-standing interpretation of the 14th Amendment. Citing the landmark 1898 United States v. Wong Kim Ark decision, Roberts noted that for more than a century the court has consistently recognised birthright citizenship for children born in the US, with only limited exceptions.

He added that there was little evidence to support the Trump administration’s reinterpretation of the amendment to restrict citizenship.

Under the 14th Amendment, children born in the US are citizens regardless of their parents’ immigration status, whether they are H-1B visa holders, international students, temporary workers, green card holders or undocumented immigrants.

Reacting to the verdict, Trump criticised the ruling, saying it was "too bad for our Country" and urged Congress to pass legislation ending birthright citizenship. In a post on Truth Social, he said lawmakers should begin work immediately and promised them his full support.

Relief for Indian-American Families

The ruling has been widely welcomed by immigrant communities, particularly Indian Americans, one of the fastest-growing immigrant groups in the United States.

Chintan Patel, Executive Director of Indian American Impact, described the verdict as a landmark victory for Indian and South Asian immigrant families.

He said many Indian families face years-long employment-based visa backlogs, during which their children are often born in the US before their parents secure permanent residency. The ruling, he said, reaffirms that those children are American citizens and that no president can take away that constitutional guarantee through an executive order.

Khanderao Kand, President and Chief of Policy and Strategy at the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), said the decision brings much-needed certainty to millions of immigrant families.

He noted that the Indian-American community now numbers nearly 5.2 million people, including more than 1.2 million professionals and family members waiting in lengthy employment-based green card queues. Kand also expressed hope that the ruling would renew efforts to modernise the US legal immigration system and provide greater fairness and certainty for law-abiding immigrants.

Indian-American lawmakers Raja Krishnamoorthi, Pramila Jayapal and Suhas Subramanyam also welcomed the judgment, calling Trump’s executive order an unconstitutional attempt to deny citizenship to children born in the United States.

Krishnamoorthi said the Supreme Court’s decision reaffirms a fundamental constitutional principle that every child born in the United States is an American citizen. He added that since its ratification after the Civil War, the 14th Amendment has guaranteed equal citizenship and equal protection under the law, including the right to birthright citizenship.